A Second Chance
by TWrites
Summary: Sam Evans has recently retired from MLB after thirteen years and decided to move back to his hometown. With a second chance at things, he hopes to reconnect with his family and begin a new chapter in his life. But along the way comes many surprises that he was not expecting.
1. Introduction

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **FACE CLAIMS WILL ALWAYS BE POSTED ON MY TUMBLR (TWRITES1).**

 **DANIELLE 'DANI' JONES-JESSICA SULA**

 **SHELBY EVANS-ANNE HORAK**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes sighed as she zipped up her purse, looking down at her watch for the hundredth time, "Dani, we're going to be late."

"Mom, I'm coming." The teen yelled down in a huff, stuffing her phone in her back pocket as she grabbed her leather jacket from bed. She swung her door open, walking down the hallway and stairs.

Mercedes ran her hands down her face as she looked at the girl with a frown, gesturing to the front door. They were running late, she obviously knew that and was doing it on purpose.

Dani put her head down as she walked out the house and to the car, getting in. She pulled the seatbelt across her chest, looking over when she saw her mother getting in, "I'm sorry, I woke up late."

"You're doing it on purpose." Mercedes said as she started up the car, taking a calming breath as she pulled off and drove down their neighborhood street.

"I know." She said lowly as she stared out the window, playing with her fingers, "I'm just nervous."

"You're going to do great sweetheart." Mercedes said softly as she turned on her signal light, moving over so she could get in the other lane.

Dani shook her head as she let out a snort, "I can't believe I'm legit scared for an interview at a pet store."

Mercedes chuckled as she looked at her for a quick second, "It's normal for everyone to be nervous for their first interview but I have a feeling that you're going to do amazing."

"Thanks mom."

"You're welcome baby." She said with a small smile. Mercedes Jones was thirty five years old and a fully licensed medical doctor. Her daughter, Danielle, was nineteen and a freshman at Georgia Tech.

"You know mom, I'm really glad that you took off today to be here." Dani said as she turned in her seat, giving her a big smile, "You're always there for me."

"I'm your mother baby, I'm always going to be there for you no matter what it is."

It was true. Her mother was always there for her and she was so glad to have someone like that. Dani closed her eyes for a few minutes, listening to the music that was playing lowly, trying to shake this nervousness out of her.

Mercedes stoled another quick glance at her daughter again and smiled. Danielle was her pride and joy. She had turned into a beautiful, strong, responsible young adult and she was so proud. She turned and parked into the parking lot, shutting off her engine, "We're here."

Dani unbuckled her seatbelt, turning to give her mother a nervous but excited smile, kissing her cheek before she got out, "Wish me luck."

"Good luck sweetheart, you're going to be great." Mercedes reassured her as she patted her cheek, watching her get out, she shook her head with a smile and pulled out her phone just in time to see her best friend calling. She rolled her eyes as she clicked the answer button, placing it on speaker.

"A heads up would've been nice." Santana said as she went through the files, opening a few up before she pushed the cabinet door close with her hip.

Mercedes smirked as she looked out the window, "I sent you two texts this morning Santana, don't do me."

Santana pursed her lips as she handed a file to the nurse, turning around to lean against the desk, "I didn't get them."

"I sent them but I'll tell you again. I will be back in the morning. Dani wanted me to be with her today for her interview and you know she's still my first priority."

Santana smiled as she listened to her best friend. She was so proud of Mercedes for everything she has done over the years but raising her daughter to her was one of the biggest accomplishments ever. She looked over at the TV when she heard everyone gasping, her jaw started to clench when she saw the person and the announcement that was being made. Hearing Mercedes calling her name, she looked away, "I'm going to call you back, I have another round to do."

"Okay." Mercedes said slowly as she took note of how her tone changed, "I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, bye." Santana hung the phone quickly, looking at the TV again, muttering underneath her breath, "That stupid son of a bitch."

* * *

Sam gave the woman a strained grin as he pretended to listen to what she was saying. He wasn't the type that was all for women throwing themselves at him, that just wasn't him. Clearing his throat, he heard the producer call over and say that they were going back on air. He watched as the woman straightened back up and turned to camera.

"Welcome back everyone. Once again, I'm KC Wentworth and I'm here with the one and only Sam Evans." She turned back to him, giving him a big smile, "We have talked about your baseball career today but what people want to know is what's next for you?"

"Well, as I said today, I'm retiring from the league. It's time, I'm getting old y'all." He laughed at himself, the audience laughing with him, "I will be returning to my hometown. I am also going to be working with ESPN as an sport anchor/commentator, so I'm pretty excited about that."

"That's pretty amazing news because we still will be able to see your handsome face on our television." She giggled flirtatiously, crossing her legs, staring at him with a smile, "What many of us would like to know is, why a man like you has not settled down yet. Anyone special in your life?"

"KC, you know I don't like my personal business out there but I will say this..there is someone special and I'm going to leave it at that."

KC wanted to roll her eyes but she reframed from doing so, looking at him with half smile before turning to the camera, "Well..isn't that something. Sam Evans is retiring and moving back to his hometown folks. That's all the time we have for today, see you tomorrow morning bright and early for recaps of tonight's games."

"And we're out, great show everyone."

Sam yanked the mic off of him, standing up, he looked KC dead in her eyes, "You're coming off as real desperate, KC. Have some damn self respect for yourself." He gave her one last glance before stepping off the stage, undoing his tie as he headed into the hallway. He was glad that it was over with so he could finally head back to his hotel room and get some sleep. On his way out, he stopped short when he saw a girl leaning against the doorway, his eyes going wide when he saw her face.

"Surprise." She said with a sarcastic tone as she walked up to him, her piercing blue eyes staring back into his green ones, "Hello brother."

"Shelby?"

"Yeah, it's me." Shelby moved her long, recently dyed brunette hair behind her shoulders, looking at him, "Crazy how you just show up back here after years of being away."

Sam sighed as he stuck his hands in his pockets, looking away from the woman, "I left because I got drafted, you know that."

Shelby scoffed as she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest, "That's not what I'm talking about and you know it." She looked at him deep in the eyes, "The great Sam Evans can't handle things face on so he cuts off communication with his family, yeah you took the cowardly way out. You turned your back on us."

"You think I don't know that? I spent years wishing I could muster up the courage to come back and make things right but I couldn't. There's a reason why.." Sam shook his head as he looked at her, pursing his lips, "But you won't see the reason why so whatever. I wish I had time to talk to you but I have another meeting."

Shelby let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head at the man, "I don't know what happened to you. You used to be the most lovable person to be around. Now you're just like every other athlete when they become famous." She gave him one last glance before walking away from him.

Sam looked at her retrieving form and rolled his eyes. This was a big reason why he was so hesitant on moving back to Georgia..he didn't want to face the things that had happened in his past.

* * *

Mercedes smiled at the people as she walked down the hallway, putting her chart on the desk when she came back to the nurses station, "I'm finally on my break."

One of the nurses, Lela, laughed at her as she grabbed the chart and opened it up so she could transfer the information to the computer, "That billionaire Barbie came by to see you yesterday."

Mercedes snorted at the name that they have given the perky woman, signing her signature on the papers, "And I'm glad I wasn't here. I love me some Sugar but I can't handle the girl sometimes."

Santana balanced the bag in her left hand as she used her other one to text her wife back, muttering angrily underneath her breath.

Mercedes looked over to the side when she heard Santana, sitting down in one of the chairs away from everyone, "What's up with you?"

"Brittany has me looking for Almond milk. I've been all across Atlanta looking for this damn milk and every store is out. Now she's pissed at me because I can't find it." Santana huffed as she sat down beside Mercedes, handing her a bag, "I brought you food."

"Thank you." Mercedes said with a smile before sitting the bag to the side, crossing her ankles, "You should've called me. I picked up two gallons yesterday. Thanksgiving is in a few days so that's why you can't find any. You can have one of mines." She bit down on her lip to suppress her laughter when she saw her face, hearing her phone vibrate, she looked at it and snickered, "Brittany."

"You're a lifesaver Cedes, thank you." Santana said as she leaned back into the chair, rubbing her forehead.

Mercedes chuckled as she opened the container, sticking her fork into the loaded fries before turning on the computer, "I've been working so much lately, I've behind on the news."

Santana leaned up quickly, pressing the button to the computer back off, earning a strange look from her friend, "Nothing new."

Mercedes looked at her strangely, "How do you know? You don't watch it." She tried to turn it on again, only to be stopped by her friend, "Seriously, what's your deal?"

"I just want to talk to my friend and you catching up on the news is going distract you." She gave her a big smile, hoping that she would believe that.

Mercedes glared at her for a minute before going back to her food, "What do you want to talk about?"

"How it is time for you to go on a date." She gave her a cheesy smile, waggling her brows.

Mercedes shook her head, swallowing the delicious fries before speaking, "I'll pass."

"Oh come on Cedes, it's way pass time for you to get back out there."

"Have you ever thought that maybe I'm fine with being single?"

Santana looked at her as if she had grown several heads, "Nobody in this world is just fine being single..be realistic."

"That's not true at all. I know plenty of people who are happily single."

"Come on Mercedes, let me just set you up on one date. I know this guy, he's pretty damn awesome, no kids, same age you are and he's a teacher. And did I mention he is hot?"

"Who is hot?" Mike said as he came up to his friends, handing Santana a chart. Mike was one of Mercedes and Santana's oldest friends. The trio have know each other since they were little.

"The guy Mercedes is going on a date with."

"I'm not going on a date with anyone."

"But why not? Don't you think it's time?" Mike asked honestly. He knew his friend like the back of his hand and he knew there was a reason she didn't want to do this but he thought it would be very good for her to get back out there.

Mercedes looked at Mike flabbergasted, "Again, have you two thought that maybe I don't want to?"

"Okay, how about this.." Mike said as he leaned against the counter, looking at her with a smile, "You go out with this dude. If you don't feel a connection, so be it. At least you tried. And if it turns out that you do like him but just as a friend, that's great too. Am I making sense?"

Santana nodded excitedly, pointed her pen at him, "You're making a lot sense Chang."

Mercedes sighed as she looked between the two, "You guys are not going to stop bugging me about this are you?"

"Not a chance." They both replied with smirks on their faces.

Mercedes opened and closed her mouth repeatedly before speaking, "I'll think about it." She said just as her pager went off, taking it off her waist, she looked at it before standing up from her seat, "I have to go."

"Think about it now." Santana called after, laughing when she threw her hand up.

Mike waited until she was around the corner and gone before speaking to Santana, "She doesn't know does she?"

"No and I've been trying to keep her from finding out." Santana sighed as she looked at her friend, "I wished the bastard stayed gone."

"That's Sam Evans for you..always going to pop up and ruin lives." Mike frowned as he shook his head, hearing his pager go off, he grabbed his chart, "But he's not going to get a chance to do it again, not on my watch."

"Not on mines either." Santana agreed, biding him a goodbye once he left. She leaned back in the chair, covering her hands over her face. She didn't know how much longer it was going to be until her best friend found out but it was bound to happen.

* * *

 **A/N. As if I needed another fic, I couldn't help it. This was originally just suppose to be a three part one shot for Christmas/New Year's but my idea for it became more. Now, I know you're like mad confused on everything and you have dozens of questions but I promise they will get answered, as always!** **As for now, I would love to know what you guys think is going on! It may seem clear as day but it's not. Way more complex & complicated! BTW, I've been had this story ready but if you follow my tumblr, you would know that I was having trouble finding a name for it lol. It's still not the best title that I have come up with but it will do!**


	2. Giving Thanks

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **DWIGHT EVANS-DERMOT MULRONEY**

 **MARY EVANS-FELICITY HUFFMAN**

 **SAINT EVANS-CHRIS PINE**

 **SUMMER EVANS-AMBER HEARD**

 **SANDER EVANS-BRANT DAUGHERTY**

 **TOMMY DAVIDSON-NICK ROBINSON**

* * *

Sam opened the door to his new house that he brought and smiled. It was weird but he was definitely happy to be back in Georgia. Despite that little run in with one of his sisters, the rest of the week had went by smoothly. After a much needed talk, him and his parents had lunch and things quickly fell back to how they use to be but he couldn't say the same with everyone. He had a total of four siblings all together. Shelby, who was thirty-nine. His older brother Saint was two years older than him, thirty-seven. Summer was twenty-six and Sander was twenty-five. He sighed as he sat the keys down, looking around the place. He decided to downsize it a bit from the one he had in Arizona. Pulling his phone from his pocket when it started ringing and answering it, "What?"

"A little less rude please." Quinn said as she rolled her eyes, moving the papers around on her desk.

Sam grunted out as he sat on his couch, looking up at the ceiling, "What do you want now Quinn?"

"I'm just calling to check up on you and see how things are going with your family."

"About how they've been for the past couple of years but hopefully that can change since I'm back home."

Quinn nodded, looking up when she saw her kids come in the house, "Listen if you want to come here for Thanksgiving, you're welcome to it. I'm sure Artie and the kids would love to have you here."

Sam chuckled as he shook his head, "Thanks but no thanks. I need to be a man and face things here."

"Completely understandable, trust me." Quinn winced when she heard something drop in the other room, "I got to go before they tear up my house. I'll talk to you soon because we still need to go over your contracts for your endorsements."

"Okay." He said as he hung up the phone, throwing it to the other side of other side of the couch. He got up and went to put his things up in his bedroom.

* * *

Dani rubbed her eyes as she got off her bed, hearing the commotion downstairs, she opened her door and headed down the stairs.

As soon as she got downstairs, the smell of food immediately assaulting her nose.

"Yes mom, I misplaced it somewhere." Mercedes groaned as she looked in the drawers, frowning as she walked over and stood on her tippy toes to look on top of the refrigerator.

"I can give it to you again when I get home." The older woman said through the phone as she pushed her basket down the aisle.

"Please..I really want to try to make this on my own again." Mercedes pouted as she sat down on the stool, going through her recipe book again.

Diane smiled because she could practically see the pout of her grown daughter's face, "You're going to do great sweetheart, maybe I'll come over this evening to help you."

"No ma, I want to do this by myself." Mercedes whined as she folded her arms on top of the counter, huffing.

Danielle chuckled quietly as she walked fully into the kitchen. It was amazing yet funny how her mom acted just like a little kid when she talked and even be around her parents.

"Fine Mercedes, you can do it on your own but I will be there to help you." Diane snickered as she grabbed two big cans of cranberry sauce, "I'm going finish up this shopping, I'll talk to you later. Love you"

"Alright, love you too, bye." Mercedes hung up the house phone and looked at her daughter with a smile, "You haven't seen the recipe card for my grandma's pound cake have you?"

"No I haven't." Danielle said with a small smile as she leaned up and grabbed the box of cereal down from the refrigerator, turning back to her mom, "You're not working on Thanksgiving?"

"I am. I just want to have something to give for my part for dinner." Mercedes gave her a sad face before pulling her hair into a ponytail, "The only reason I have been working like I have is so that I can have two weeks off after Christmas."

Danielle sighed as she turned around with a slight frown, grabbing the milk from the fridge, "It sucks that you can't be there."

"I know sweetie but I know for sure that you're going to have a good time at mom's."

"Sure I am but everyone is going to bombard me with questions about school, my non-existing love life and other things. I won't have you there to stop them." She pouted as she placed a spoonful of her cereal in her mouth, "I may just go to Uncle Mike or Aunt San and Britt's afterwards."

Mercedes laughed as she closed the book, "Make sure you call first."

Dani nodded as she picked up her bowl and went to sit on the stool, "That's a really great idea. I'll text them later on and ask."

"Speaking of those two." Mercedes started softly, grabbing a couple of ingredients down from the cabinet before looking at her daughter, "What do you think about me going on a date?"

Danielle stopped eating for a moment to look at her mother with a blank expression, "You really want the truth from me?"

"I do." She answered seriously as she moved some loose strands of hair behind her ear.

"I really think you should. You deserve to be happy and you definitely deserve someone in your life who's going to love you whole heartedly, which is going to be hard to do because that's my job." Dani chuckled right along with her mom before turning serious, "I also think that you starting back to date will be good mentally, emotionally and most definitely physically."

"Danielle." Mercedes felt her cheeks heat up from embarrassment, shaking her head, "Oh my god.."

"I'm just saying." Dani gave her a cheesy grin, laughing at how embarrassed she was making her, "But in all seriousness, I want you to go out. I love and appreciate you wanting my approval. You always think of me and you have been taking care of me for nineteen years by yourself..it's time for you to take care of you."

Mercedes sent her a smile, her eyes glistening a bit with tears. She tried to stop them for falling but she couldn't help it. She loved her daughter so much and she was right, she did do everything for her but isn't that what mothers are suppose to do? She always told herself that she made an innocent accident when she was sixteen but she never regretted her for a second.

"Don't cry mom." Dani said quietly as she got up from her seat and went to her, wrapping her arms around her. She kissed her the side of her forehead, squeezing her tight.

"I'm sorry." Her words came out muffled as she laid her head down on his shoulder, squeezing her back just as tight, "I love you so much Danielle..so, so much. Never forget that."

Danielle smiled as she looked at her, her taller frame standing over her shorter one, "I couldn't if I tried."

Mercedes smiled as she kissed her cheek, running her hands over her curly hair, "Now come on and help me get the rest of this food done."

"Okay." She let go of her and went to put her bowl in the sink. She was truly happy that her mom was getting back in the dating world. She deserved every ounce of happiness that will come her way.

* * *

Mary looked around the dining room table with a big smile. She was so happy for this day. She had done a little more cooking this time because her son was finally back home. She had missed him so much. Even though they had their rough patches, she was glad when they met the other day, everything felt like it was back to normal. Looking at her husband, who was setting the turkey on the table, she smiled as she walked over to him, "I have a great feeling that this is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever."

Dwight gave his wife a smile. Although deep down he knew this wasn't going to be what she thought it was, he was going to let his wife see for herself. She was oblivious to the fact that not everyone was going to be happy to see him. He sighed as he walked across to the living room to get his children, "Dinner is ready y'all."

Saint let out a sigh as he and the rest of his siblings got up and went to the table, "Everything looks great ma."

"It does." Summer said with a smile as she sat beside Sander, placing her napkin in her lap.

"The kids would've love this." Shelby said as she leaned forward and poured herself a glass of wine.

"I know you guys wanted your significant others here today but we haven't seen Sam in awhile. And I know it's not going to be all peaches and creme so I would rather not solicit anyone to our drama." Mary said truthfully as she sat that. She knew her husband thought she was probably oblivious to what was going on but she wasn't.

Saint shrugged as he placed his phone on the table, looking at the time, "My wife and kids are decided to go to Minnesota anyways this year so.."

"Honestly, I'm glad it's just us." Sander spoke up for the first time, looking at all the faces in the room just as the doorbell rung, "Despite everything, I miss Sam. Believe it or not, I really do. And I'm glad he's back here. So you guys can be mad at him if you want but I'm not going to hold a grudge because at the end of the day, he's my big brother and I love him."

Shelby rolled her eyes as she sipped down the wine, watching as her mother got up to go get the door. She knew deep down in her heart that she missed her brother too but her missing him was buried deep underneath all the anger and hurt.

"Hello everyone, Happy Thanksgiving." Sam said as he entered the room, arm and arm with his mother. He watched as they all said it in a less meaningful way. He grunted as he took a seat by his mother, looking over to his youngest siblings, "Sander..Summer, it's so good to see you guys. You two have really grown up since the last time I saw you."

Summer gave him a small smile as she nodded, "It's good to see you too Sam. I'm glad you're home."

"I'm glad to be home. Now that I'm back, I would love to sit down and talk with you both. It seems that you two are the only ones who are willing to listen to me."

"Can't argue with that." Saint said as he glared at him, looking over to his parents, "Can we please say the prayer so we can eat and go?"

"Maybe this was a mistake for me to come here tonight." Sam said as he noticed the attitudes that was bouncing off his two siblings. He cleared his throat and looked at everyone, "I know I messed up okay? But I was in a bad place at the time and I was only thinking about myself. So I'm sorry that I abandoned my family, I'm sorry."

"You just didn't abandoned us Sam, you abandoned your own mother." Shelby said as she looked at her mom in disbelief, "And I can't believe that you're acting like nothing ever happen."

"Don't talk to your mother like that Shelby." Dwight gave her a warning before turning back to his family, "Look, we all have had our problems but let's put them aside for one night and be thankful that we are all here tonight. Some people are not as fortunate as we are."

"Amen to that. Let's say the prayer." Summer said as she looked over to her older brother and grabbed his hand, a smile appeared on her face when he smiled back.

"I would like to say grace." Sander folded his hand together, closing his eyes, "Lord I would just like to thank you once again for waking us all up to see another day. Thank you for this wonderful food that was prepared for us. Just like my dad said, many people are not as fortunate but I want to pray for them also lord. Pray that you wrap your loving arms around them. Thank you for bringing my big brother home this year. Despite everything, I missed him and I know everyone else does too they're just too stubborn to admit so. Thank you once again, amen."

"Amen." Everyone said as they begin to fix their food. Hopefully they could at least get through this dinner without killing one another. And surprisingly, they did.

* * *

Mercedes was walking down the hallway looking at the few pictures her daughter had sent her. She had just got done with her first round and she was trying to get to a vending machine for a drink until a resident stopped her.

"Excuse me Dr. Jones?"

"Yes?" She answered as she turned around, giving the young man a smile, "What can I do for you Dr. Spencer?"

"I have a patient here asking for you." He handed her the chart, running his hands nervously along his pants, "He refused any kind of treatment from me because he thinks I don't know what I'm doing."

Mercedes opened the chart and let out a small laugh when she saw who it was. Looking at the resident, she gestured for him to come with her. She moved the curtain back once they made it to the room, her lips pursed, "Tommy, I believe you're starting to come back here on purpose."

The pale skinned young man looked at her with a crooked grin, "Just for you my love."

Mercedes giggled as she sat the chart down on the table, going over to the sink to wash her hands, "What's wrong?"

"I'm dying doc."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she dried her hands, throwing the paper towel away before taking her stethoscope from around her neck, "You're not dying Tommy."

"No but this time, I really think I am."

"Breath in, out slowly." She said as she listened to his breathing, looking down at him, she could see his eyes were swollen and his breathing was a bit rigid. Tommy has been Mercedes' patient for quite some time. When he was fifteen, he had a rare form of cancer and was given so many months to live but a miracle happened and two years later he was cancer free. He was now twenty-two and a senior at The University Of Georgia. She grabbed her small light and turned it on, "Open your mouth."

"Ahhh.." He whined as he looked at her, a small pout on his lips when she was finish. He watched closely as she placed the back of her hand on his head, "Told you I'm dying."

Mercedes shook her head as she looked back at Dr. Spencer, "Get me a cold towel from the freezer, a cup of water, two acetaminophens and a green Popsicle please."

"Yes ma'am." He nodded and walked out the room quickly to go retrieve the things.

"Who drove you?" Mercedes asked as she placed her hand on his chest to guide him to lay back.

"My cousin. She told me I was probably having an allergic reaction so she gave me an epi-pen."

"She was right. Thank god it was minor this time and didn't cause anaphylaxis. You ate something that had nuts in it and wasn't aware. You have to be careful." She turned around when she heard the man come back in, thanking him as he sat the stuff on the counter behind her. She gave him the cup and two pills, "This is going to make you feel better. If you're fever doesn't break in the next hour, I'm going to hook you up to an drip and keep you over night." She watched as he nodded and she smiled, laying the cold towel across his forehead and giving him the Popsicle, "You're not dying Tommy, just please be caution of what you eat."

Tommy gave her a sweet smile, opening the Popsicle, "I don't know what I'll do without you. Thank you Dr. Jones for everything."

"You're welcome." Mercedes gave the other man a smile before removing her gloves and tossing them in the trash, "Dr. Spencer, this is Tommy Davison, Tommy, this is Dr. Spencer. Just in case you run into him again, he's just as good as I am so trust him."

Tommy gave the man a look, holding up his hand, "No offense dude but she's been my doctor for almost eight years. She knows me more than anyone so I don't trust nobody but her."

"Completely understandable." Dr. Spencer said with a chuckle as he folded his arms.

Mercedes dried her hands off and walked towards the door, "I'm going to have a nurse call down and let your cousin know that you're okay. You get some rest and I'll be back to check on you in an hour."

"Yes ma'am." He nodded as he finished up his treat, feeling the medicine immediately starting to work on him.

Mercedes nodded, patting the resident's shoulder as she walked out the room. She smiled as she handed the nurse the chart and ask her to call down for his cousin. She thanked her before walking away, stopping in her tracks when she saw a familiar face, "What are you doing here?"

Danielle smiled as she held up a bag, "Happy Turkey Day." She walked up to her and gave her a side hug, "I couldn't spend the rest of Thanksgiving without my mama."

"Aw sweetheart." Mercedes smiled as she hugged her again, stepping back, she ran her hands through her hair, "I love it."

"I got a couple inches cut off and straightened."

"It's beautiful." She said honestly as she gestured for her to start to walk, "Lead the way."

Dani nodded as she turned on her heels and headed towards her mother's office. Once she got down the hallway, she opened the big door to the room, "You're caramel and pound cake was a hit by the way. Uncle Charles ate half of it."

Mercedes shook her head as she took off her white coat, hanging it on the rack as she circled around and sat in her chair, "He has a bottomless pit but I'm glad everyone liked it."

"Mhm." She sat the bag down on the desk, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she went over to to her, "Lets take a picture first." She turned it to the front camera and smiled with her mother, taking a couple before moving away. She found one that she really liked and posted it on her social media accounts, captioning it with _'Ending Thanksgiving with my best friend. I'm very thankful for this one. I love you to the moon and back, mom.'_

Mercedes looked at her daughter with a smile as she typed on her phone. This thanksgiving, she was thankful for what she was always thankful for. Another year of life and her beautiful, sweet girl.

* * *

 **A/N. Are you guys enjoying? I know you're still trying to put two and two together and some of you have probably figured it out BUT it's not exactly what you're thinking if I am right about what you're thinking lol, make sense? Anyways, what do you think of the Evans siblings? Dani and Cedes relationship is really special, will get tons of flashbacks with them!**


	3. Sam's Story

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Sam sighed as he sat back on the couch, rubbing his forehead as looked up at the ceiling. Thanksgiving dinner was an absolute mess but he didn't expect anything less. His family was pissed at him and rightfully so. He had cut himself off from them because of his own problems. Truth was, he was still dealing with some things but he wasn't nearly as bad as he use to be. He heard the alert ding on his laptop and he picked it up, clicking the answer button, he smiled when he saw the woman on the other side, "Hey."

"Hello Samuel, how are things going?" She smiled politely as she pushed her glasses up on her face.

"Exactly how you said they would..horrible."

She nodded as she pulled out her notepad and turned it to a fresh piece of paper, "Go on."

"I knew things weren't going to be easy but it's like they're not even giving me a chance."

"What do you expect? You abandoned them when they needed you the most. While you was getting drunk and throwing away money like it was nothing, your family needed just a small portion of that money to pay for your mother's treatments and you refused to give it to them. I know deep down you're a wonderful person but that period of your life was the darkest and they don't know that because you didn't open up to them about it. So now they're just seeing you as a heartless bastard who didn't help his mother in a time of need."

Sam put his head down as he listened to her talk. Everything she was saying was right. He wasn't proud of anything he has done. It was true what Shelby said, he let the fame rotten him and he hated it. He wasn't raised like that at all but somehow that life consumed him and led him down a very bad path of alcohol abuse and self-destruction.

"What you need to do now is sit down and have a serious talk with all of them. Let them know why you cut yourself off so they could at least get a clear understanding."

"Sander and Summer are the only two who talks to me."

"That's a great start. They are the youngest right? This would be good for not only you but them as well because them being the youngest out of the group, they looked up to you and they were young and confused when everything was happening." She wrote down something in her notepad before looking back at Sam, "You now know what you need to do so let's move on from this topic. Are you adjusting to being back in your hometown?"

"Well I guess. I just brought a new house, the rest of my furniture is coming today and I start work in January so I'm good with that part."

"That's good. Are you excited?"

"I am, I'm starting a completely different chapter in my life and I can't wait. It's a fresh start and a chance for me do things right, Dr. P."

Dr. Porter looked at Sam with a smile, nodding her head, "That's a really good mindset you have Sam." She sat her pen down, figuring she didn't need to write anything else down, "I think that's enough for today. I know we still have other things to talk about but I think we've tackled the major things. I do want you to talk to Sander and Summer, communicating with them is key at this point."

"I texted them this morning so they should be here any minute." He sighed as he looked at her, "Thank you for still taking me as a client, even when I'm thousands of miles away."

"It's really no problem Sam. I feel that when clients move away, they won't feel comfortable as the first time opening up to another stranger so I'm always going to be here for my patients." She looked down at her calendar, "Same time next Wednesday?"

"Yes ma'am."

She nodded and she sent him one last smile, "You take care of yourself Sam and remember what we talked about."

"Okay, talk to you soon." He gave her a small wave before disconnecting. He moved his laptop back on table just as the doorbell ring. He stood up from the couch and went to the door, opening it, he sent them a small smile as he stepped aside to let them, "Hey."

"Hey." They both said with smiles on their faces as they came in.

Sam gestured to the living room, following behind them, "Would you guys like something to drink or eat?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Summer said as she sat down in the chair, putting her purse on the floor.

"Me too." Sander said as he sat on the love seat, placing his jacket beside him.

Sam nodded as he wrung his hands nervously as he took his seat, clearing his throat, "I'm glad you guys came because I really want to explain everything."

"I'm glad you call us Sam, honest." Summer said as she stared at her brother, "I always said that there has to be a reason that he doesn't want to talk to us."

"It was." He took a deep breath before speaking, his nerves was truly getting the best of him but he knew he had to get it out and tell them the truth, "I just want you two to know that I love you both and I never stopped. The pressure that I was under had a major affect to all of this. I was good for ten years, you guys both know that because I was still talking to everyone but after that, I starting to tumble. I got so caught up with the 'baseball life', I started to lose focus on what was really important. I was a bad drinker. After every game, I would hit the bars and clubs with my teammates and drink. It was like my life was falling apart and that's wasn't even the beginning of it. About a year later, it had gotten worse..the drinking and I even mixed a little drugs with it but that didn't last long. I wasn't the one for the drugs so I stopped doing them the first time I started. When mom called me and told me she had breast cancer, it's like I just went num all of a sudden. I couldn't face the reality that I might lose my mother so I ignored it and cut myself off from finding out more about it." He saw how emotional they were getting and he couldn't help but get the same way, "For years my addiction got worse and it wasn't until one of my maids found me passed out in the bathroom that things started to change. She was actually the one who put me in rehab when offseason begun. I am thankful that it was kept private because I didn't want to cause any embarrassment to my family. The only people who knew was me, my maid and the president of the MLB. My punishment was that I couldn't play for a year and they made the official statement by saying that I was having health complications from surgery and was going to take the year off. Of course media speculated but they couldn't find anything solid." He wiped the tears that slid down his face, "After that, I really got myself together. I went to therapy and AA meetings. I just really didn't want to be in that environment any longer so I retired and now I'm here. I know this doesn't fully excuse my reason for not talking to you guys but I was weak, embarrassed and not in a good place to talk to anyone."

Summer listened as Sam told his story, wiping tears that was spilling rapidly from her eyes. She hated that her big brother went through this for years alone and didn't tell anyone. They could've did something..she could've did something.

"I'm s-sorry." Sander said all of a sudden, his face was bright red much like everyone in the room. He put his head down, sniffing down hardly, "We should've knew something was wrong."

"Stop." Sam got up from his seat and went to him, sitting beside him, he wrapped his arm around him and pulled his brother close, "None of this is anyone's fault but mines. I couldn't control my actions, I just couldn't. You guys didn't know because I couldn't be a man and tell you. You two were just kids, I didn't expect you to know something was up." He looked over at Summer, who look like she was on the verge on a breakdown, "Come here."

Summer wiped her face as she went over to the couch, sitting beside Sam, she cried when he wrapped his other arm around her. She buried her face into his chest, much like she use to do when she was little and scared.

"I love you both so much. I'm sorry that I have hurt you, so sorry." He choked out as he felt his own tears start to fall. He held them both for a few more minutes, no words were being said, instead, the siblings just sat there comforting each other. He had finally gotten the truth out and although it was hard, a sense of relief spread through his entire body as he sat there.

* * *

 **A/N. Now you know Sam's story. Were you expecting that? Do you think Shelby and Saint will come around after they find out? To give everyone a sense of calm, Sam may seem like the bad guy so far but he really isn't I promise. As you continue to read future chapters, you will see. :)**


	4. Reflections Of Her

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Brittany twirled her hair as she nodded to the music, watching as the girls finished up the routine, letting out a smile when she saw her niece finally get down the dance move she was struggling with. She paused the song on her phone, clapping, "That was really good everyone. I'll see you back here next week, same time. And don't forget, that is going to be our last practice before the new year."

Dani waved bye to some of the girls as she sat down on the floor, laying flat on her back to get a breather in. Her Aunt Brittany owned a dance studio and taught many different types of dance classes. This year, she was taking ballet and hiphop. She took those two because one, she loved to try new things and two, they helped her get a little extra practice in because she was a cheerleader at Georgia Tech.

"You nailed that move, Elle." Brittany said with a smile as she handed the girl a water as she sat beside her.

Dani thanked her and smiled at the little nickname that she had given her when she was little, "I've been practicing and remembering everything you said."

"I can see the difference. You know what I always say..practice doesn't make you perfect.."

"It makes you better because no one is perfect in the world." Danielle finished with a smile as she played with the rim of her bottle, "Can I ask you something Aunt Britt?"

"Always." She closed her water bottle and sat it beside her, crossing her long, slender legs as she looked over to her.

Danielle sighed as she moved some of her loose curly hair back that was falling from her bun behind her ear, "It's about my father."

Brittany eyes went wide as she looked at her, quickly trying to think of what to say, "Um..what about him?"

"My mom has always been honest about everything with me, including this but..I guess I just want to know is why she want tell me who he is." Danielle looked at her curiously with her big brown doe eyes, much like her mother's, begging for her to at least give her something.

Brittany opened and closed her mouth repeatedly as she looked at the girl, sighing, "Elle, have you thought that maybe she's just protecting you?"

"But protecting me from what Aunt Brittany?" She stressed, looking at how flustered the older woman was getting.

"Trust me, she's protecting you from a lot of hurt sweetheart. Maybe she will tell you one day but your mom has very good judgement so just trust her on this."

Danielle frowned a bit just as her alarm went off on her phone. Standing up with a sigh, "I have to get to work." She looked over and watched Brittany stand up as well, leaning over to give her a hug.

Brittany gave her a tight squeeze before letting go, watching as she walked towards the door, "Drive safe Elle, love you."

"Love you too." She said quietly as she walked out the studio.

Brittany ran her hands over her face as she turned around with a grunt. Picking her water bottle up from the floor, she headed back to her phone so she can give Mercedes' a heads up.

* * *

Sam thanked the heavens above that all his furniture came in. Now, everything was complete. It felt like he has been back longer than two weeks but it was a good feeling. He also has gotten back on good terms with all of his siblings. After he sat down with Sander and Summer, two days later, he had a family meeting with everyone. Of course there was a lot tears, blaming and why's but with the help of Dr. Porter, they will continue to work through it. It was a start and he was truly happy about that. He even got to sit down and get to know Saint's wife, Roxy, and his two nephews, Alex, who was fourteen and Timothy, who was ten. He met Shelby boyfriend of five years, Kevin and his son, Elijah, who was eight. Sander and Summer were the only ones who were single with no kids, mostly because they made it very clear that they weren't getting married nor having kids. He came out of his thoughts when he heard his name being called, turning around, he smiled when his mother held up the box. Her and his sisters had came over today to help him decorate his house for Christmas and they had brought along a slew of decorations, along with her cooking a big lunch with the Christmas music playing quietly in the background.

"You have a lot of space here big brother." Summer said as she came back into the living room from decorating the foyer, picking up another box as she went to the couch.

He chuckled at her amusement as he moved the box of ornaments to the table, "It's not nearly as much as I had in Arizona."

"Ain't that the truth." Shelby spoke up as she sat back on the couch, laying her head back, "I remember when you first brought that house. I got completely lost in it."

Sam laughed as he picked up an ornament, turning it over, he stopped and stared at it. Running his fingers over the writing, he cleared his throat a bit as he walked around and placed it on the back.

"When do you start work Sam?" Mary asked as she picked up another ornament, not getting an answer, she looked around the tree, "Sam?"

Sam snapped out of it and looked over to her, "I'm sorry. I-um, I'm starting next month. The first game I will be commentating is the BCS Championship."

"That's cool. It's a really big game." Summer said at first but then her face twisted up in confusion, "I'm just confused on how your going to be commentating on football when you were a professional baseball player."

"Well, they asked me if I knew a little about football and I told them yeah. I love the sport actually and I know what is going on and plus, this was a chance for me to come home."

"I'm glad too." Shelby raised her head with a smile. She may have given her brother a hard time when he came back but that was because she was oblivious to everything that happen to him. Now, she was excited for him to be home for good. She looked over when she heard her phone buzz, reading the text, a small laugh escaped her lips, "Hey Sam, Kevin said Elijah has been asking what to call you since the other day and he wants to hang out with you."

Sam laughed as he walked back to the front, folding his arms across his chest, "He's a sweet kid. If it's okay with you and Kevin, I'm actually taking Alex and Timothy out tomorrow for a boys slash get to know your uncle better day."

"That's a really good idea sweetheart, I know that they're going to love you."

"I know for sure because Alex and Tim are nothing like their father." Summer mumbled to herself as she walked back to the kitchen. When people saw their older brother, he was always looked at as a protector and such a sweet southern gentleman but he was the opposite. He was very overbearing, always had to be right and thought he knew what was best for everyone.

"So when are you going to settle down and give me some nieces, nephews or even a sister-in-law?" Shelby asked with a raised brow.

Sam shook his head as he went back around the tree and looked at the ornament with a sad expression, "Maybe never." He ran his hands along the words before coming out of his mini funk, plastering a smile on as he leaned to the side to look at her, "But I thought for sure you were going to have some."

Shelby smiled faded as she stood up from the couch, clearing her throat as she excused herself and walked out the room.

Sam looked at her confusedly before turning to his mom, who had an equally sad look on her face, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Sweetheart." Mary said softly as she walked over to him, grabbing his arm, "Shelby can't have kids. Her and Kevin tried for two years before her doctor confirmed it."

"I didn't know."

"I know but now you do. It's still a sore subject but she has been doing great job accepting it."

"Alright, sorry..lets finish this tree." Shelby said with a smile back on her face, looking over at Sam's somber look, she figured their mother told him, "It's okay Sam, you didn't know."

"And I'm sorry." He said as he walked over and gave her a big hug.

She smiled as she hugged him able, letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She had definitely missed his hugs he gave. It was just something about them that brought a sense of calm over her. They embraced for a few more minutes before letting go and getting back to their task at hand.

* * *

Mercedes sat at the nurses station in the emergency room with a sigh. She had just read the text Brittany sent her and she knew that this was going to happen. She didn't want to tell her for a reason and she always questioned herself on whether she was a bad mother because of that.

"A little birdie told me that someone has a date tonight." A chippy voice said with a bright smile as she leaned against desk.

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she looked at the woman with a smile, "I'm going to kill that little birdie for telling you."

Sugar smiled triumphantly as she lifted up a bag, "Well I brought you a little something for it."

"Sugar." Mercedes said with a sigh, seeing the look on her face, she chuckled.

"Mercedes, you need to let people do something for you sometimes sweetie." She said as she slid the bag to her, "I inherited a lot of money and I'm going to definitely spend it on someone who deserves it. You have not only save my life, you have been a great friend to me. So take the gift please."

Mercedes sighed a bit as she looked at the woman, "Thank you Sugar."

"You're welcome." She said with a grin before her eyes lingered away from her, "I have to go now. I need to talk to my future husband. Call you later."

Mercedes turned her head when she saw Dr. Spencer practically run from her. That girl and her delusions. She sat the bag underneath the desk with a shake of her head. She didn't know how this date was going to go tonight and to be honest, she was just going to have a nice meal and conversation, and maybe get a friendship out of this because she was not looking for anything more. Mercedes lifted her head and looked at the disgruntled RN when she cleared her throat.

"Dr. Jones, can you come with me please. I have a patient requesting a doctor because he's claiming that I have no idea what I'm talking about."

"Is it Tommy?"

"Unfortunately no. At least we know when he do come to call you right away." She said with a small laugh, shaking her head at the thought of the young man and his antics, "This is someone else."

"Okay." She stood up, walking behind the young woman just as her phone buzzed again. She looked and saw it was her daughter, letting her know that she was leaving school and heading to work.

"Okay sir, I got you a doctor so she could tell you what I've been telling you the whole time." The nurse said as she entered the room, going to grab the chart from the counter to hand it to Mercedes.

Mercedes stuck her phone in her pocket before looking up at the man, giving him a smile before grabbing the chart, "What seems to be the problem?"

Sander's face twitched up when he heard the familiar voice. Looking up, his eyes went wide as saucers when he saw the familiar face that he hasn't seen in a very long time, "M-Mercedes?"

Mercedes looked at him confusedly, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Sander couldn't even answer the question. He was surprised that he still remember her but how could he forget her.

Seeing he didn't respond, she opened the chart and looked for his name. She looked at him again before her mouth dropped a bit, "Oh my god."

* * *

Sam smiled over at his nephews as they began to walk. He had spent the whole day just having fun and getting to know them, "Did you guys have fun today?" He chuckled when all of them nodded excitedly, throwing his cup away in the trash. He had taken them all to this laser tag place, which had an arcade connected to it, which they spent hours at. Afterwards, they went to grab some pizza and that's when he learned a lot about them all. One thing he did love was the relationship they had with Elijah.

"Uncle Sam, you're seriously the coolest." Alex, the oldest said with a smirk as he threw his stuff away.

Elijah nodded with a shy smile, keeping up strides with the older kids, "The absolute coolest."

Sam laughed as he held the door for them to go outside, "Well I'm glad someone still thinks this old man is."

Timothy smiled as he looked around the strip as they walked down the sides. He stopped when he spotted something, his eyes brightening when he saw the iguanas through the window, "Ooo, can we go in?"

"Sure." Sam said as he opened the door for them, watching as the two youngest ran straight to them while Alex went to cats. He picked out his phone when he felt it vibrating, answering the text.

"Hey guys, my name is Dani, let me know if you need anything." Danielle said as she gave them a small smile before going back to do inventory.

"Thanks."

"It sucks that dad won't let us have any pets." Alex said aloud as he looked at the cat, who was staring back at him. He smiled as he stuck his finger through the little hole to rub his nose.

"Why wont he?" Sam asked curiously as he looked between the two brother. Watching them shrugged, he sighed as he shook his head. Saint was a difficult fellow, always has been since they were younger.

Elijah turned to the man pondering, "Uncle Sammie, do you have any pets?"

"I don't." Sam replied as he watched their eyes linger more on the cat than the iguana. He thought for a moment before speaking, "Okay, I have an idea. I will buy the cat and keep it at my house but it will be your responsibility. You have to come after school every day to feed it its dinner and make sure the litter is clean. It's going to be considered our cat so everyone is responsible. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes!" They all said loudly, their faces beaming with excitement.

"Okay." He chuckled as he turned on his heels and went to the counter, "Um, excuse me miss?"

Danielle stacked the last of the books on the table behind her, hearing the man, she turned around and gave him a smile, "How can I help you?"

"I-um." Sam stared at her for a moment but not in a creepy, predatory way. She looked really, really familiar but he just couldn't place it, "We want to buy the cat."

"The orange tabby?" She watched him nod as she grabbed the keys, not noticing how weird he was acting. She walked around the counter and went to the cage, smiling at how excited the boys were, she gave the man a look over her shoulder, "Your sons?"

"Nephews." He replied distractedly as he still trying to figure out where he has seen her before.

"Awesome." She unlocked the cage and smiled at the cat, pulling him out the cage, "We have found you a home sir." She rubbed him one last time before handing him to the oldest boy. She closed the cage back up and walked back to the front, "He's a year old, we took him in because the shelter was completely packed. He's very sweet and playful. He's also updated up on all shots." She said as she looked at the paper in front of her, "You will get a free collar and cage so boys you can pick one out from behind you if you want. Your total sir will be ninety-five for the cat."

Sam nodded as he opened his wallet, pulling out a hundred dollar bill. He turned around for a second and saw that the boys had put a blue collar on him and he chuckled. Turning back to the girl, he scanned her face again when she gave him his change and receipt and it was slowly starting to click when she smiled again.

"Here you go sir, thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you four enjoy your cat. We sure are going to miss him around here." She giggled as she looked at the boys, who were definitely in love with him already.

"Thank you." They said as they headed for door, giving her a small wave.

Sam started to follow behind them but something made him turn back around. He went back to the counter, ignoring the questionable look on her face, "I'm sorry..I may be wrong but I just have to ask you this. I went to school with this girl and you look so much like her. Are you related to a woman name Mercedes Jones?"

Danielle looked at the man and nodded with a bright smile, one that was so recognizable to him but she didn't know that, "Yes sir I am." And she didn't know that the next statement she said would leave him speechless, "She's my mom."

* * *

 **A/N. I bet the curiosity is killing you guys lol. Hope you're enjoying this story so far & the back to back updates this weekend! BTW, I love reading your reviews & predictions!**


	5. This Can't Be Real

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 ****

 **Damien Luckett-Jay Ellis**

 **Kaiyo Chang- Karen Fukuhara**

* * *

Mercedes smoothed the lipstick over her lips as she looked into the mirror. She was getting ready for this blind date tonight and she honestly didn't know how to feel about it. Plus, she had other things on her mind. She wasn't expecting to see _his_ little brother in the emergency room today.

 _Mercedes stood wordlessly as she looked at him fully. It was him but an older version of himself. It has been years since she has seen him last and he definitely was not a little kid anymore._

 _"Wow, Mercedes..it's really good to see you." Sander said finally as he scanned the older woman's face._

 _"Same." She replied quietly before_ _clearing her throat when she saw the nurse looking at them strangely, "I..um, use to babysit him."_

 _"Oh." The nurse said as she rocked back and forth on her feet, smiling, "Well, I'll let you take it from here then."_

 _"Thank you." Mercedes said as she sat the file down on the table and turned back to him. She had to get herself together in order to do her job._

 _"It's been awhile.." Sander said as he looked at her once again, honestly trying to process that she was actually standing in front of him._

 _Mercedes moved her hair back behind her ear, giving him a weak smile, "Yeah it has." She crossed her arms and scanned him, "So what seems to be the problem?"_

 _"Oh right." He said as he came back to the reason why he was in here. He cleared his throat a bit and pointed to his ankle, "I twisted it during my afternoon workout. I thought it was nothing so I went home to ice it but the pain became_ _unbearable."_

 _"Okay, sit back for me." She said as she help him lay back, she pulled something under his legs so the bed could extend. She rolled his pants leg up and took a look, moving it gently, "It looks like it's sprained but I'm going to have you send down for some x-rays. You're going to be here for awhile, sorry."_

 _"It's fine." He said as he looked back at her, scanning_ _her face once again before speaking, "How have you been?"_

 _"Good. You?"_

 _"Great."_

 _Mercedes nodded as she grabbed his file off the table. She honestly didn't know what to say, what could she possibly say after all these years, "My shift is almost over but I'm going to make sure they take care of you. I'm going to send the nurse back in and she'll take you down for x-rays. It was nice seeing you Sander."_

 _"You too, Mercedes." He said with a small smile, watching as she walked out the room, he rolled his eyes when he saw the nurse come back in, giving him a knowing look, "Yeah, yeah..save me the I told you so."_

"Damn shawty."

Mercedes came out of her thoughts when she heard a voice, rolling her eyes when she found her daughter leaning against her doorframe, "Language."

"Sorry mom but you look hot." Danielle said as she came in with a big smile gracing her lips, nodding in approval.

Mercedes shook her head as she sat the tube down, "Thank you baby." She had opted to wear a short sleeved ivory dress paired with red heels. Her curly hair was pinned up into a bun while her makeup was flawlessly done with a red stain lip to make it all stand out, "How was your day?"

"Well it was good until I had to present my final paper for my speech class."

"What happened?"

"He gave us a free writing topic and we could write about anything we wanted to, so I wrote about white privilege in America."

"Oh boy."

"I mean everything I wrote was true so..I'm proud of my paper. A few people got offended because I was speaking the truth. One girl even said how can you even write about that when your white too." Danielle said in disbelief as she stood in front of her mom, "I may be mixed with white, but I'm black."

Mercedes giggled at her daughter before sliding on her bracelet, she was truly a character.

"But other than that drama, I turned in the last of my books today and I'm completely off for winter break. Well, not from cheerleading. We have a game Saturday and if we win, we head to Alabama next month for the BCS Championship." She went and sat on her bed, "And work was good as always, I love it there."

"I bet you do."

"Yeah." Dani giggled to herself as she played with a pillow, snapping her fingers when she remembered something, "I also met this man today. He said he went to school with you. He only asked me if I knew you because he said I looked so much like a girl he went to school with."

"Oh yeah?" Mercedes said as she turned around, placing a hand on her hip as she looked at her curiously, "Did you get his name?"

"No but.." She was about to describe him until she heard the doorbell ring. Her eyebrows rose up mischievously before she shot out of the bed and headed downstairs.

"Danielle." Mercedes yelled after her before grabbing her clutch from the bed. She sighed as she turned off her lights and headed out the room, mumbling, "It's Santana probably."

"Well hot damn." Santana said as she looked at her best friend with a smirk twisted on her lips, watching as she came down the stairs, "Look at that body in that dress."

Mercedes pursed her lips as she rolled her eyes, "And what are you doing here?"

"Making sure you don't back out of this date."

"I'm not."

"Then what time is he picking you up?" Danielle asked as she picked up their cat, Hershey, and plopped down on the couch.

"He's not. I'm not giving some man I don't even know yet my address, let alone get in a car with him. I'm meeting him downtown at Alamo Cocina at eight."

"Mm, Mexican food, yum. Can you bring me back something?"

"Me too."

Mercedes rolled her eyes at them before nodding, "Sure. Dani make sure you let the dogs in from the backyard." She checked her phone for the time before moving towards the door, "I'll see you guys later, stay out of trouble."

"We won't, drive safe." They both said at the same time, laughing when she rolled her eyes and closed the door.

* * *

Sam helped his brother into his house in with a shake of his head. He had just picked him up from the hospital a couple of minutes ago and brought him to his house. They had wrapped his ankle up, gave him some pain medication and crutches. He locked the door and watched as he hobbled over to the couch.

"Thank you for picking me up." Sander said as he sat down on the couch in a huff.

Sam nodded as he walked to the kitchen to grab them some water, "How did you hurt yourself anyways?"

"Well..I was running on a treadmill and there was this cute girl. Let's just say, I didn't get her number." He said with a deep sigh, ignoring Sam's laughter from the other room. He watched as he came back and grabbed the water he threw at him, thanking him. He opened it up and took a sip, snapping his fingers, "You'll never guess who I saw today."

"Who?"

Sander looked at him cautiously before saying her name, "Mercedes."

Sam's eyes went wide at her name, he patted his chest as he began to choke on his water, "M-Mercedes..Jones?"

"Duh dude, she's the only Mercedes we know." He chuckled as he laid his head against the back of the couch, "She's a doctor bro, one sexy ass doctor."

"This is crazy." Sam said as he stood up from the couch and began to pace. She was living her dream, the dream of becoming of doctor and having a family. That's all she ever wanted, "I literally met her daughter today."

It was Sander's turn to look at him in shock, "Daughter?"

"Yeah..she looks like she's about eighteen or nineteen." He whispered in a sad tone, "She got married and had a kid with someone else."

"Damn man." He said lowly as he looked at his older brother. Him and Mercedes was middle and high school sweethearts, he thought they were going to last forever until something happened that caused them to break up. His face twitched up in confusion, "Wait, she didn't have a ring on her finger."

"She may have taken it off for work."

"Or not." Sander gave him a devious smirk before tapping his chin, "Maybe you should just drop by the hospital and pay her a visit."

"I'm not going to do that. I haven't see her in a long time, I doubt she remembers me." He frowned as he thought about it. He hasn't seen or spoken to her in so long and he always wondered why they didn't keep in touch. She was the love of his life at one point and he thought for sure they were going to be together forever. They had broke up for some stupid reason almost twenty years ago and when he tried to make things right, she had already left for college and wasn't answering any of his calls. The wheels began to turn in his head as he stood up from the couch. She had a daughter who was around nineteen, so that means she had her before she turned seventeen..she graduated at seventeen and then she left. His eyes slowing began to get wide as he thought about it more and more, "That can't be right."

* * *

Mercedes checked her phone again before walking into the restaurant, smiling at the host as she opened her mouth to speak, "Hi, reservation under Damien Luckett."

"You're Dr. Jones right?" The host asked with a smile before grabbing a menu, seeing her nod, she gestured for her follow her.

Mercedes followed behind her, taking a calming breath as she did so. When they came to a stop, she saw a man get up with a smile on his face, "Hi."

"Mercedes right?" He asked with a big grin on his face as he held out his hand, "Damien."

"It's nice to meet you." She smiled back as she shook his hand, watching as he came over and pulled the chair out for her. She thanked him as she removed her coat and sat down.

Damien sat back in his seat and gave her another smile, "You're even more beautiful than I thought."

"Thank you." She blushed slightly underneath his gaze, looking to the side when the waiter came up. She ordered herself a glass of wine while they both went ahead and ordered their food. Mercedes turned back to him, placing her hand underneath her chin, "So how do you and Santana know each other?"

"Her father is the principal at the school I teach at. We met about a year ago when I first moved down here."

"Where are you from?"

He took a sip of his water before speaking, "I'm originally from Dallas but I moved down for a better job offer."

"That's nice."

Damien smiled as he leaned back and gazed at her, "I'm sorry but I just want to know why a beautiful woman like you is not married yet."

Mercedes laughed lowly as she downed the rest of her wine, shrugging, "Haven't found the right one yet."

"Hopefully you can find the right one soon." Damien smirked as he sent her a small wink.

"Yeah, hopefully so." She said in a strained tone as she thanked the man for refilling her glass. Although that wasn't her main focus right now, she was going to keep it in mind.

They engaged into a light conversation throughout the rest of the dinner date, asking questions to get to know each other a little better. Mercedes had to admit, she actually enjoyed her night out. It was nice to sit down and have a conversation with someone other than her friends and family. If nothing came out of this but a friendship, that would be just fine with her because he was genuinely a sweet guy. After dinner, they took a walk in the park across the street before Mercedes decided it was time for her to go.

"Thank you for tonight, I had an amazing time." She said with a smile as she stood in front of him, waiting for her car to pull up.

"I did too." He smiled as he placed his hands in his pockets, looking at her with a teasing grin, "So does this mean I get a second date?"

Mercedes tilted her head and thought for a moment, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "We'll see."

Damien smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "Drive carefully."

"You too." She smiled as she stepped back, giving him a small wave before stepping off the curve, thanking and tipping the valet when he opened the door for her. Tonight had been a great night and maybe, just maybe, she would see him again.

* * *

Mercedes rushed down to the emergency room the next morning, getting to the the room she was looking for. She took a calming breath when she saw who she was looking for, "Oh my god, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." The girl said with a smile as she looked at her, "You don't look fine though."

"Well when someone tells me that my god daughter was brought in because of an accident, you can't blame me for going into panic mode."

"I'm fine Aunt Cedes, I promise. I just had fender bender that's all. The paramedics wanted me to come and get checked out to be safe. I'm just waiting for a doctor to clear me." Kaiyo Chang was Mike and Tina's sixteen year old daughter.

"Where's your mom and Kane?" Mercedes asked as she grabbed her light from her pocket and turned it on, moving it in front of her eyes.

Kaiyo squinted a bit at the light, "They went to the cafeteria." She sighed when her aunt turned off the light and went over to grab her chart, "Am I good to go?"

Before Mercedes could say anything, Mike came rushing into the room, "Are you okay? I'm just got out of surgery and the nurse told me what happened."

"Dad, I'm fine..I promise. I'm just ready to go home, that's all."

Mike let out a relieved breath and sat down in the chair, "I'm almost had a panic attack."

"I had one." Mercedes said as she placed the cuff around her arm so she could take her blood pressure, "What happened?"

"I was on my to pick Kane up from school and all of sudden, this guy ran the red light and hit the front of my car. Thank god that he wasn't going super fast because I could've been dead."

"Don't speak like that."

"I'm just saying dad."

Mike rubbed his head as he leaned back in his chair, "Where's your mom?"

"Went to get Kane something to eat." She said as she closed her eyes. She was so exhausted from today and all she wanted to do was sleep.

"130 over 70." Mercedes said as she took the cuff off of her, leaning against the small railing, "That pain medicine is working, so go ahead and go to sleep. You can leave when you wake up." She smiled as she went over and sat by Mike, putting a calming hand on his shoulder.

"I should've never brought her that car." He said quietly as he turned to look at his friend.

"She wasn't doing anything wrong, she wasn't texting and driving, she was concentrated on the road. You know we can't prevent things like this from happening." She gave him a light bump on his shoulder, "And plus, she's a teenager, she deserves a little bit of freedom away you guys. We all had cars at that age."

"You're right." He chuckled as he shook his head, seeing his little girl asleep, he turned to Mercedes, "How was your date?"

"Surprisingly good, I had fun."

Mike smiled happily as he patted her hand, "See and you didn't even want to go. Guess me and San were right."

Mercedes chuckled and she rolled her eyes, "Guess so." She looked down at her waist when her pager went off and sighed, standing up, "I have to go but I'll be back to check on y'all."

"Okay, thanks Mercedes."

Mercedes nodded as she walked out the room and went straight for the elevators. She smiled at some of the people in there and push the button to the fourth floor. When it stopped, she walked out to the floor and immediately stopped when she saw everyone gawking around her office door, "What the hell.."

"Dr. Jones." One male nurse said, shaking his head in disbelief as he came up to her, "You have a visitor."

Mercedes face twisted up in confusion as she walked down the hallway, "Get back to work." She watched as everyone immediately started to disperse when they heard her voice. Twisting her doorknob, she pushed her door and immediately froze when she saw him leaning against her desk.

Sam heard her come in and he lifted his head. He took a moment to look at her and he couldn't believe that he was actually standing in front of her. She had grown up into a beautiful woman, not that she wasn't already beautiful when he last saw her. She still looked the same but she had blossomed wonderfully. It's been so long and he had came here with so much to say but when he saw her, it's like all his thoughts disappeared.

Mercedes was frozen in her spot. She couldn't believe her eyes right now. She couldn't believe that he was standing right here in front of her. She closed her door from the wandering eyes outside and stared at him. He still looked the same but more mature. What was he even doing here?

"It's been awhile." He finally spoke as he pushed off the desk and went to stand in front of her, close enough to where the smell of her perfume and coconut scented hair assaulted his nose. His greens eyes connecting to her softer, shocked brown ones, "We have some catching up to do."

* * *

 **A/N. Oh damn! Let's start from the beginning. What do you guys think of Damien? Do you think he's going to stick around for awhile? What about the first date? I really didn't write as well as I planned to but oh well. Now, Sam coming and confronting Mercedes..how do you think this is going to go? So many unanswered questions but stick around. ;)**


	6. Is He My Dad?

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

 _"We have some catching up to do."_

Mercedes finally came back to senses and stepped back, clearing her throat as she looked away from him, "What are you doing here?"

Sam was trying to keep his anger at bay as he looked at her, "I just wanted to come by and see an old friend. Is that a crime?"

Mercedes scoffed as she walked around him and went straight to her chair. Hearing what he said only made her angrier, shaking her head, "You need to leave."

"Why the hostility Mercedes? We haven't seen each other in almost twenty years, why are you acting like this?"

"You're seriously going to act like you don't know?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm the one who should be mad..you left without saying goodbye."

Mercedes let out a humorless laugh as she placed her hands on her desk, "You can't be serious right now.."

"I am." He said with in a pissed off tone. He didn't know what her problem was but he needed her to tell him a lot more than that. He moved closer, looking dead in her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me I had a damn child?"

Mercedes looked at him in shock, her mouth dropping as she recoiled at what he just said. Before she could utter a word, her door swung open, showcasing the topic of this conversation.

"Mom, I was wondering if I could.." Danielle stopped mid sentence when she looked up from her phone, looking at the two adults. She smiled at the man as she pointed to him, "You're the man from the store yesterday and it definitely didn't come to me on who you were right away but I figured it out. You're the Sam Evans, famous baseball player. Mom, this is who I was telling you about."

"What did you need sweetheart?" Mercedes asked, trying to get her attention off of him.

"I was going ask if I could talk for a minute but it's okay." She said as she came into the office fully, looking at the man curiously with a smile, "So, you went to school with my mom?"

"I did."

"Wow mom, why didn't you tell me you knew someone famous?" She asked excitedly, not giving her mother a chance to answer as she shot more questions at him, "Did you take classes together? Were you two friends?"

Sam loosen his clenched jaw, taking a calming breath, "You could say that."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she looked at her daughter, "How about you go down and visit Kaiyo for a minute."

"I just came from down there, she's fine." Danielle said as she looked at her mother, who had a weird look on her face and at Sam, who looked angry, "Is everything okay?"

Mercedes ran her hands over her face. She couldn't believe this was happening, "Dani, just go back down with Kai please. Sam and I need to finish our conversation."

"Okay." She said slowly as she looked between them again before walking out. Something was definitely going on here that they weren't telling her. She closed the door and leaned her ear against it so she could hear, hoping that Mercedes wouldn't come back out and check to see if she was really gone.

Sam was at his tipping point. The anger inside of him was steady rising as he turned back to the woman, "How could you do this to me Mercedes?"

Mercedes stared at him disbelief, "Are you fucking crazy or are you having memory problems here Sam?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"When I found out I was pregnant, I was immediately going to tell you." She choked out as she looked at him disgustingly, "But before I did, somehow you found out and you sent me this long, horrible text saying you wanted nothing to do with me, that I should just abort it because a baby was going to ruin your chances of being in the league. I tried calling you dozens of times after that but you didn't pick up. I was so heartbroken and shocked that you would treat me like that so I left early for college."

Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing right now. This was something he would never do, "I never knew you were pregnant and I sure as hell never sent you a hurtful text like that."

"Cut the bullshit Sam."

"I'm not bullshitting you, this is the truth." He moved closer to her, seeing the tears falling from her face made his heart tug even after all this time, "Mercedes you know me, you know I would've never abandon you. You were my girlfriend, even after we broke up over some stupid shit, I never stopped caring nor loving you."

Mercedes shook her head furiously as she stepped back from him again, "I don't believe a damn word that's coming out of your mouth."

"Look, I didn't do it. I don't know who the hell knew and sent you that text but it wasn't me. I could've cared less about going to college or the league if I would've known you were pregnant with my kid."

"JUST STOP WITH YOUR LIES!" She yelled out, her chest rising and falling erratically, "You need to go."

"I'm not going anywhere until we work this out."

"There's nothing to work out."

"Are you serious right now? I have a daughter, a child I knew nothing about and we need to tell her who I am and I need her to know that I'm not some deadbeat father who left her mother because I didn't want her. I need her to know that I didn't know."

"You're my dad.." Danielle said just above a whisper as she came back into the room in utter shock from the conversation she just eavesdropped on. Looking over at her mom, who was looking away from her, "He's my dad"

Mercedes ran her hands through her hair before giving her a small nod, whispering, "Yes."

Danielle looked between them unbelievably before stepping back, her eyes going straight to Sam, "H-ho..why..oh my god." She spoke as she leaned against the wall, looking back to her mom, "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"Danielle, I was just trying to protect you."

"Protect her from what Mercedes?" Sam asked her in disbelief as he folded his arms across his chest.

"From you." Mercedes said with a frown as she came to him, pointing to the door, "You need to leave right now. I'm not going to tell you again Sam, I will call security."

Danielle was glued to her spot. It was so much going on that she couldn't even think straight. Her dad was here standing in front of her claiming that he had no idea that she even existed. So was her mom lying all this time? Did she keep her from him for no reason?

Sam took a deep breath as he stepped back, looking over to the girl..his daughter. She looked upset and that was the last thing he wanted. He made his way to her, careful not to get too close, pulling a card from his pocket to hand to her, "I really would like to talk to you because everything I said I meant. I didn't know you existed until now..I swear on everything."

Danielle took the card from his hand and looked at him. She could clearly see the hurt that was across his face and because of that, she knew he was telling the truth. Watching his retrieving form leave out the office, she looked back at the card that had his number on it.

Mercedes ran her hands over her face, shaking her head. She couldn't believe this was happening. She watched as Danielle looked at her and she sighed, "Sweetheart."

"He's telling the truth." She spoke quietly as she stepped back from her mom, "You know I can tell when someone is being honest and that honesty was bursting off of him, mom."

"Dani."

"No." She cut her off as she looked at her angrily, "He didn't know about me at all. You said he didn't want anything to do with either of us but that isn't the truth is it? You purposely kept him away."

"I did not keep him away from you. He didn't want to be around."

"He just said he didn't say that mom." She felt tears slide from her eyes, taking her hand to wipe them away as she turned around to walk out her office, "You did this on purpose."

"Danielle." Mercedes called after her, wincing when she slammed the door. She felt her own tears coming down as well as she sat in her chair. She couldn't believe that this just happened and she really couldn't believe that her daughter thought she had lied to her about it.

* * *

Summer parked her car in her brother's driveway, letting out a grunt as she got out and closed the door. She headed up the steps, bending down to pull the key from one of the hiding spots to open the door, "Sam, you were suppose to meet me at the mall so we could finish Christmas shopping." She called out, a frown playing on her lips when she didn't get an answer. She closed the door and began to walk, stopping almost immediately when she saw him sitting in the living room staring at the two bottles of liquor he had on the table in front of him, "What are you doing?"

Sam titled his head as he continued to look at the bottles, "Do you believe in karma?"

"Sam." Summer said softly as she stepped down, moving closer, she took a seat beside him on the couch and faced him, "What's wrong?"

"Answer the question Summer."

Summer was taken aback by his red tear stained face. She didn't know what had happen but he obviously wasn't going to come out and tell her if she didn't answer, "Yes."

Sam nodded as he laid back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling, "Do you remember Mercedes?"

"Of course I do." Summer said almost instantly when he asked. Although she was little, she still remember the woman who was like another big sister to her.

Sam scoffed lightly, which caused his sister to look at him dumbfounded, "Well, you know how we broke up right before we left for college."

"Yeah."

"And we haven't seen or talked to each other since then." He said sadly as he closed his eyes, "She's a doctor now, what she always said she wanted to be. I met with her yesterday after I had a talk with Sander."

"Sander mentioned he saw her the other day." Summer eyed him confusedly before looking back at the bottles, "What's going on Sam? Why do you have those liquor bottles in this house?"

"I use to keep them to remind myself that I don't want to turn into that person I was before." He said lowly as he turned his head to look at her, "I found out that Mercedes has a nineteen year old daughter. At first, I thought she had gotten married and had a family like she always dreamed but no. It's my kid Summer, I have a daughter that I knew absolutely nothing about."

Summer's mouth dropped at what her older brother just said, thoughts spinning in her head rapidly, "What? You have a what?"

"You heard right, I have a nineteen year old daughter and her name is Danielle." He felt a tear slide down his cheek as he looked away from her in hurt and sadness.

"Oh my god. Why didn't she tell you?" She asked in disbelief of what she was hearing right now. She couldn't believe that Mercedes kept something this big from her brother. She wasn't that type of person but clearly she was wrong.

"She claims I sent her a text saying how I didn't want any parts of it and that she should just get rid of it but I didn't. Summer, I know you weren't old enough but you have to know that I'm was not and still isn't that type of person. I would've did what I had to do for her and my child, no questions asked."

"I know that Sam." Summer said softly as she told up, biting down on her bottom lip, she grabbed the two bottles, "Let's just get rid of this first." She went into the kitchen and opened both of them up and poured them down the sink. Once finished, she threw them away and went back into the living room, taking a seat back beside her brother, "What else happened?"

"We got into this big argument about it at her office, Danielle overheard us and that's when she found out. Mercedes was so adamant that I sent the text, she didn't want to hear me out. She was so angry, she threatened to call security so I decided to leave. I gave Danielle my card if she wanted to talk and I'm really hoping that she will call."

"Oh wow." Summer said as she sat back on the couch. This was defintely a lot to take in, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I guess this is the punishment I get for not being there for you guys."

Summer saw how sad he was and it made her heart hurt for him. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest, "Everything's going to work out."

Sam looked down at her before closing his eyes, "I'm not so sure."

"It will." She reassured him. And it would. She didn't know what she could do about the situation but she knew something had to be done.

* * *

 _Hey, you have reached Danielle, sorry I missed your call, I'm either studying, working, or in practice. I'll call you back as soon as I can. Bye._

"Danielle, this is the tenth time I've called you, will you please answer your phone. I'm sorry sweetheart, I really am. I need to where you are and that you are safe baby. Please, please call me back." Mercedes pleaded as she hung up the phone, throwing it on the couch, she sighed as she ran her hands through her hair, "I should've told her who he was."

Santana shook her head as she folded her arms across her chest. She couldn't believe that he showed up. Furthermore, she couldn't believe that he was denying everything he said to her girl, "You did the right thing Mercedes."

"I don't think I did San. You should've saw how angry she was. The hurt..she looked so much like him."

"I understand her but I don't understand him. He didn't want this so why all of a sudden he's upset?"

"I don't know. He just kept saying he didn't send it and he would never do anything like that to me." She sniffled as she wiped her tears away from her face, "At one point, I just kept thinking, this isn't Sam, he wouldn't do anything like this but..he did."

Santana bit down on her bottom lip as she looked to the floor. Although she hated the man for what he did, she honestly for the life of her couldn't stop thinking the same thing. He wasn't the type of person to do this but shockingly he did. But now he's denying it?Something wasn't right about that.

Mercedes chewed on her bottom lip, picking her phone back up when she heard it buzz. Seeing it was a text from one of her sisters, she let out a relieved breath, "She's at my parents house and she told Cassie that she doesn't want to see or talk to me right now."

"She just needs some time Mercedes, that's all. She's safe but we can go in the morning to check on her."

Mercedes nodded before she bursted out in tears, putting her head down and hand over her mouth. She felt like her world was turning upside down and she couldn't prevent it from happening.

Santana sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around her best friend, kissing her forehead, "It's going to be okay."

"You don't know that."

"I do." Santana said softly as she held her, hearing her sobs only brought tears to her own eyes as well. She knew she was hurting and she wished there was something she could do about it.

* * *

 **A/N. Do you believe Sam? Does Dani have a reason to be mad at her mom? Do you think Mercedes lied? Do you think Santana is right when she says something is off about this? Let's just say..the situation is a lot deeper than you think. Spring break is over for me so back to school Monday. See you guys in a week or so for an update, have a great & safe weekend! ****Reposting again with a comment. Just putting this out here like always, if you don't like the way MY story is going, you don't have to let me know just stop reading it. As I state in almost every chapter in all my stories, I ALWAYS explain my reasons for everything. In this situation, yes it may seem right now that Mercedes just went off of a text but you haven't read the flashbacks yet so..it's hard to just base your final opinion just yet when I haven't given you the full story! Lately, you guys seriously critique every single detail I write & it's not my OG readers either but that's okay! You suppose to give your opinions and I respect that. I can take criticism but some of it be to the extremes and it pisses me off! So just letting you know once again, if you do not like the way I write my stories, DO NOT READ THEM! Thanks! **


	7. Bonding & Coffee

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **David Jones- Dennis Haysbert**

 **Diane Jones- Lynn Whitfield**

 **Charles Jones- Lance Gross**

 **Megan Jones- Shanice Banton**

 **Cassie Jones-Carlie Casey**

* * *

Danielle curled up with the stuff animal in the bed, closing her eyes as the vibration of her phone continued to go off. She didn't want to talk to anyone..especially her mother. She was in a state of shock that she couldn't get out of. She met her father..her dad. Her dad was Sam Evans. The Sam Evans and her mother didn't tell her. She say it was to protect her but from what? Although she had told her the story of what happened when she was younger, it was confusing to see her dad react the way he did. He genuinely didn't know what she was talking about and she believed him. She believed a man she barely knew over her own mother. Does that make her a bad person? There were so many thoughts swarming through her mind, she didn't know what to do.

Megan peeped in the room, seeing that her niece was up, "I brought you some hot tea."

"Thanks but no thanks." The teen said as she looked at her aunt with sad eyes. Megan Jones was Mercedes' older sister by two years. The beautiful dark skinned woman was the best real estate agent in the heart of Atlanta, a loving wife and mother of two.

Megan frowned as she sat the cup down on the night stand, sitting next to her on the bed. She placed her chin on top of her arm and stared at the young woman, "Are you ready to talk?"

"Not really."

"Well, I need to know why you're upset and whatever it is, it has your mom really worried because she keeps calling you."

"I-I just.." She paused as she shook her head, turning back around, "I don't want to talk about it."

Megan sighed as she patted her shoulder, getting up from the bed, she gave her one last glance before stepping into the hallway.

Danielle waited until she left out before sitting up, grabbing her phone, she saw all the miss calls from her mom as she unlocked her phone. She has never ever been mad at her mom before and she really shouldn't be but something just didn't seem right about what was going on. She opened up her text message and typed in the number, beginning to type out her text as well.

Mercedes walked up to the front of the house and knocked on the door, stuffing her hands deeply in her coat pockets as the cold wind blew across of her face. She turned to Santana and gave her a sad smile, "Thank you for being here."

"You're my best friend, I wouldn't be anywhere else." Santana said as she looked towards the house, "Everything's going to be fine."

"I hope so." She said just as the front door open, showcasing her mother, "Hey mom."

"Hi sweetheart." She leaned forward and hugged her, letting go so she could come in, repeating the same action to Santana. She closed the door and locked it behind her.

Mercedes walked into the living room and found her dad, brother and one of her sisters, "Hey."

"Hey baby girl." David greeted his daughter as he stood up and went to hug her, causing her to wrap her arms around him and lay her head down on his shoulder.

Charles looked on with frown but not because of them. It was Sam. He knew because this was the only reason why both his niece and sister was upset.

Megan came down the stairs after the fail attempt to get her niece to talk. Seeing her sister, she went to her and gave her a hug, "Hey, what's going on?"

"Everything's a mess." Mercedes said as she pulled back and looked at them, wiping her face as she looked away, "Sam's back and he came to my office. Let's just say, Dani thinks I'm lying about what happened and Sam's denying ever abandoning us."

"Danielle knows?"

"Yes and she believes his story over mine."

Charles shook his head in disbelief, balling up his fist, "I can't believe he showed his face back here, let alone have a nerve to come to your workplace."

"Wait a minute." Diane said as she stepped in the middle of the living room, looking at them. She knew this was probably going to make them angry but she had to say it, "He said he didn't know about the text, do you think there's a chance that he's telling the truth?"

David sat back with a frown on his face, "Come on Di, that boy is a liar and everyone knows that."

Diane rolled her eyes as she sat down. A part of her for years always thought of the possibility of Sam not sending that text, it wasn't like him. He was so smitten with her daughter back in the day and would do anything for her. But against better judgement and the hurt that her daughter was facing, she automatically took her side.

Danielle finally decided to get out of bed. Dressing into something warm, she turned the light off into the bedroom and headed down the stairs. She needed to get some fresh air and get out of this house. Her steps faltered when she saw her mom and she wanted so badly to get away from her in the moment so she hurried down the stairs.

"Danielle." Mercedes called out once she saw her coming down the stairs, moving quickly to get to her.

"I'm just going out for a minute." Dani said as she looked to her grandparents before turning to her mom.

"We need to talk." Mercedes said softly as she looked at her, willing herself not to cry.

"I don't want to talk, I just want to get some air." She said as she walked around her, a pain aching in her chest as she opened the door, nearly running into her other aunt.

"Woah, hey..bye." Cassie greeted as she watched the girl walked by and go down the steps. She turned back and saw her sister at the front door with a sad expression on her face.

Mercedes ran her hands through her hair as she turned on her heels and went back into the living room.

Megan went to her younger sister and wrapped her arms around her for a hug, "She'll come around sis, let's just let her breathe for a second."

"Megan's right baby girl." Diane said with a gentle smile as she stood up from the couch, "Let's go in the kitchen and eat the breakfast I prepared."

Santana removed her jacket after sitting back and watching the family. Looking at her best friend, she gave her a small smile as she grabbed her hand and let her to the kitchen.

* * *

Danielle tucked her hands into her jacket after she locked the doors to her car, stepping onto the sidewalk. She began to walk until she found her destination, opening the door to the Starbucks. Although she told everyone she was going to get some air, that was not all she was doing. She nodded at the barista before walking towards the back to the booth. Taking a calming breath, she looked at him with a small smile as she slid in, "Hi."

"Hey." Sam replied back nervously as he sent her a smile as well. He was kind of in shock that she texted him so quickly and asked to meet with him. Although he was happy she did reach out, he on the other hand was nervous and scared. He cleared his throat as he gestured to the drink, "I didn't know what you like so I just got you water."

"Thank you..and just so you know, I like caramel frappuccinos and when it's cold outside, caramel macchiatos, light on the whip cream and heavy on the drizzle." She said with a slight giggle. She honestly didn't know where to start. She had so many questions for him but she knew she was going to have to take her time because not only was this new for her but it was for him too, "First I would just like to say thank you for agreeing to meet me."

"No, thank you for actually wanting to meet with me..let alone talk to me after every thing."

Danielle noodled as she played with her fingers nervously, "I-I..um, honestly, I don't know where to start so..can we start with some small questions?"

"Of course." He said as he sat up and laid his arms on the table, "What's your favorite color?"

"Green." She said quickly, laughing when she saw the shocked look on his face, she shook her head, "I guess you thought I was going to say some girly color but no. It's just something about the color that pulls me in. How about you?"

"Actually, it's green too."

Danielle smiled as she leaned back in the booth, "What your favorite sport and food?"

"Everyone would think my favorite sport is baseball, which it is, but I also like football and soccer. Favorite food would hands down be fried chicken."

"I'm definitely your daughter." Danielle whispered in amusement with a chuckle as she tucked some of her curly hair behind her ear, causing Sam to smile.

"Where do you go to school?"

"Georgia Tech and I'm a cheerleader." She answered as she went on to tell him more about it. She was going to major in English because she wanted to become a teacher. She didn't know what it was but it felt so easy to talk to him. They sat there for a few hours getting to know the other one better. It was weird yet very heartwarming that they were able to connect so quickly.

Sam let a faint smile take over his lips as he listened on. Here sitting in front of him was a mini-version of himself. It was an emotional experience for him to be able to sit here and talk to her. Apart of him was sad and the other part was angry because he has missed out of part of her life. One thing he has leaned since he's been back, you can't change the past, you have to move forward and let it go..but in this situation, it was going to be hard.

Danielle pushed her abandoned drink away that she had ordered mid-way through their conversation. They had talked about everything and shared things about themselves. She could honestly say that she was not expecting her father to be anything like this, "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

Danielle sighed as she looked away for a moment, "I believed you when you said you didn't know about me..I really did but someone had to send that text to my mom. Does anyone in your family don't like her?"

"They all loved your mom. At one point I thought they loved her more than they loved me." He chuckled, causing Dani to crack a smile, "But I promise you, I will get to the bottom of it. I know it won't change anything now but I need to know why someone would do something like that."

"Thank you." She whispered to him just as her alarm went off. She picked up her phone and looked down at it with a sigh, her eyes going back to him as she slid out the booth, "I'm sorry, I have to get to work."

"It's fine." Sam said as he stood up as well, stretching a bit before he stood before her with a smile, "Thank you for this..coming and talking. I honestly didn't expect for it to be this soon but I'm more than glad you didn't wait."

"I've done enough waiting." Danielle said with a sad smile as she put her coat back on, turning back to him, she went in for a hug but stopped herself, "Is it okay?"

Sam was surprised yet again by another gestured from her but he nodded. He watched as she came and wrapped her arms around him and he did the same.

Danielle didn't mean to hug him as tight as she did but something came over her. This was her dad. Apart of her felt complete when she did so. She willed herself to let go only because she was going to be late for work. She gave a big grin as she stepped, "Maybe we can do this again before Christmas..?"

"I'd like that."

"Okay, I'll just call you." She heard her other alarm go off and she rolled her eyes, letting out a smile before leaving and waving, "See you later."

"Bye." Sam watched her leave out and smiled as he sat back down. He had just had a beautiful conversation with his exceptionally smart, kindhearted, beautiful daughter and he was so happy. That only made him more determined to find out what really happened and who decided to take it upon themselves to do this.

* * *

 **A/N. For the record, we will find out all of Mercedes' family backgrounds next update, along with flashbacks. What are you takes on this chapter? What do you think is going to happen next? Have a great weekend everyone!**


	8. Unfolding The Past

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

 _Mercedes chewed on her bottom lip as she stood in the store. Sighing, she looked over at her best friend with a confused expression, whispering, "Which one do I get?"_

 _Santana shrugged just as she started grabbing one box of each brand, "Better safe than sorry." She looked at her and grabbed her hand, pulling her to the register. She sat the basket on the counter and waited for the clerk to ring it up._

 _Mercedes rocked on her heels, watching as the boy, who looked in his early twenties, kept eyeing them as he rung up the boxes._

 _"Don't be a judgmental fuck." Santana hissed at him, throwing the money down and snatching the bag out of his hand._

 _Mercedes sent him a glare as she followed behind her friend, making her way to her car. She got in and placed the seatbelt across her chest, laying her head back against the headrest._

 _Santana started her car and pulled out the parking lot. She glanced at her best friend for a second before putting her eyes back on the road. About twenty minutes later, they were sitting in her bedroom staring at all ten pregnancy tests._

 _Mercedes ran her hands through her hair, tears filling in her eyes as she stared back at every single one, all ten displaying the same answer. Pregnant. "I can't believe this is happening."_

 _Santana eyes were still wide as she went from the sticks to her best friend. She was lost for words. Her friend out of all people was pregnant, "How did this happen? Well, I know how it happened but.."_

 _"Oh my god..I can't be pregnant Santana." She said as tears rolled down her cheeks, turning to her friend, "I'm suppose to be going to medical school in three weeks."_

 _"You still can go.."_

 _"And Sam..oh my god Sam." She covered her her mouth to stop her sob from coming out, "How am I suppose to tell him?"_

 _"Hey, come here." Santana said as she pulled her to her, wrapping her arms around. She kissed her forehead as she pulled her closer to her chest, "It's going to be alright."_

 _"No it's not."_

 _"It will." She reassured her as she pulled back, wiping the tears away from her eyes, "You need to tell your parents and Sam."_

 _"I know..I know." She sniffled as she took the sleeve of her shirt and wipe away the last of her tears, "I'll tell Sam first..I'll call him tomorrow so we can meet and talk."_

Mercedes came out of her thoughts when she walked to the nurses station. She gave the nurse a small smile and handed her the chart.

"Dr. Jones, these came for you." She said as she stood up and handed her the vase of roses.

Mercedes thanked her and looked through it for a card, finding it, she picked it off the stick and read it. _Just was thinking of you and hoping for date two. Damien_. She rolled her eyes and handed it back to nurse, "Take them to someone on the sixth floor." She wasn't in the mood for him right now. Although their date went well, he has been texting her nonstop everyday asking for a second date and she was over it. He seemed like a good guy but right now, she had more important things to worry about. She looked up at the TV and saw the game was almost over. It was only twenty seconds left but Georgia Tech had won and they were going to the BCS Championship.

* * *

 _Sam moved the last of his boxes out to the hallway, sighing. He was packing up the last of things in his room to take with him to college. He looked up and smiled when he saw his little sister, "Hey."_

 _"Hey Sammy." Summer smiled as she held onto the plate in her hands, lifting it up to him, "I made you a sandwich."_

 _"Aww." He said as he put the box outside the door and gestured for her to come in. Watching her go to his bed and take a seat, he sat right beside her, "Thank you bug."_

 _"You're welcome and it's your favorite. Turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, mayo and mustard. I can't cook bacon but I hope you still like it."_

 _Sam couldn't help but smile at her, kissing her forehead, he grabbed a slice and bit into it, nodding in appreciation, "Best sandwich ever. You have to taste it."_

 _Summer beamed brightly as she picked up the other slice, munching down on her creation._

 _Sam chuckled as he went to finish his up, the two eating in silence. He looked over and saw how her mood starting to change, "What's wrong bug?"_

 _"I'm going to miss you." She whispered as tears filled in her eyes, looking at her big brother with a sad expression._

 _"Come here." He opened up his arms, watching as she sat the plate behind her and went to sit in his lap, "I promise I will call you everyday and I'll visit as much as I can. Okay?"_

 _Summer nodded as she wiped away her tears, sniffling hard, "I love you so much Sammy."_

 _"I love you more." He bopped her nose, earning a laugh from her. He sat her to her feet and stood up, "Now, would you like to help me finish packing?"_

 _"Yes." She said with a smile as she went over to the his dresser and started taking the pictures down. Five minutes passed by until she got the last picture, looking at it, she frowned a bit, "Sammy, why did you break up with Cedes?"_

 _Sam stopped what he was doing and turned around to look at her. He sighed as he thought about the girl, his heart clenching, "I-um..we had a fight."_

 _Summer frowned as she looked at him, "You hit a girl? Sammy, you know boys are not suppose to hit girls."_

 _"No, no..I didn't hit her, I would never put my hands on a girl..ever." He cleared that up for her young mind right away, sitting down on his bed, "We are going to be apart when we go to college and we are not going to see or spend a lot of time with each other so Mercedes decided that we should break up. She said didn't want to hold me back and vice versa. Do you get it?"_

 _"I'm just seven so not really." She said confusedly, her eyebrows twitching up, "So does that mean you can date someone else?"_

 _"Yes..it does."_

 _"But I don't want you to marry someone else, I want you to marry Mercedes and have babies. She is funny, nice and so pretty Sammy. Do you not like her anymore?"_

 _"I still like her Summer, I love her so much but this is just something we have to do right now. Hopefully, someday in the future we will be able to get back together but right now, we're doing what's best."_

 _Summer sighed as she looked back down at the picture of them from their graduation, running her finger along the faces of her brother and Mercedes._

Sam ran his hand through his hair as he walked up the stairs of his house. Today he had a meeting with some of the producers for the game next month. He was excited yet nervous on how this was going to go but he was ready. He moved the covers back on his bed and got in with Dasher, the cat, following behind him. On the bright side of all of it, Georgia Tech was one of the teams going. That meant Danielle was going to be there. That along put a smile on his face as he thought about his daughter. He has yet grasped that he actually had a daughter but he wasn't complaining one bit about it. He was just mad at the fact that someone robbed him from being there for her ..someone close to him and he had to found out who it was. He made Summer promise to not tell anyone in his family about the situation yet. He had sent a text out telling them that they were going to have a family meeting. Christmas was next week and he didn't want to ruin it but he couldn't wait any longer to find out the truth. Somebody knew something and he was going to find out exactly who that person is.

* * *

 _Mercedes sighed as she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail, walking towards the kitchen. It's been a long, exhausting day and she wanted nothing more for it to be over. Since her father was gone out of town for a business trip, she had just told her mother that she was pregnant last night. Of course she was mad and sad, a lot like herself but she got over it. She made her an appointment at the doctors for today, which they confirmed that she was indeed expecting, then she asked her what she wanted to do. Although a part of her wanted to have an abortion, she just couldn't..not without talking to Sam. She smiled a bit when she saw her five year old adopted sister, Cassie, sitting at the table eating lunch, "Did you save me some?"_

 _"Sorry." She gave her a guilty smile, her hazel eyes trained on her brown ones._

 _Mercedes chuckled as she kissed her cheek, opening up the refrigerator. She pulled out some things to make her a sandwich, closing it back up with her foot._

 _Megan, Mercedes' older sister, came in from the living room. She was home for the summer from college in Texas. She scanned her little sister's face and sighed. She didn't expect for her to get pregnant..at least not right now, "Do you know if you're going to keep it yet?"_

 _Mercedes grabbed a butter knife from the drawer before shrugging, "I'm going to talk to Sam about it and we'll go from there."_

 _"And when are you going to do that? You haven't spoken the boy since y'all broke up a week after graduation."_

 _"I don't know Megan, okay?" Mercedes called out a little louder than she expected to, looking over at Cassie, who was staring_ _between them, "I'm sorry, I'm just..this is a lot."_

 _"I understand." Megan said as she took a seat by Cassie, grabbing a chip from her plate._

 _"I'm going to text him right now and ask if we can meet somewhere today." She said just as her phone buzzed. Putting the stuff back in the refrigerator, she picked it up and her eyebrows furrowed when she saw it was Sam. As she opened up the text, she read it and almost instantly, her heart began to break into a million pieces and tears began to fill up in her eyes._

 _Megan looked up when she heard her gasp, standing up from her seat, "Mercedes, what's wrong?" She watched as she began to shake and she went around the counter to her, grabbing the phone out of her hand._

 _I guess you weren't going to tell me? I saw you at the clinic today and by the look on your face, you definitely are pregnant. It doesn't matter anyways because I want nothing to do with you or it, so the best thing you can do is never talk to me and get rid it. I'm now glad you decided to break up with me after graduation, now I don't have deal with this mess. You're not going to ruin my life so goodbye._

 _"What in the actual hell." Megan watched as Mercedes ran out of the room and her heart broke for her_ _. Her features started to change into an angry one, clicking out the text and going straight to call Sam, but to no surprise, he didn't answer._

 _Cassie slid from her seat and ran up the stairs, her small feet quickly trying to find her big sister. She saw her door opened to her room and she went in, gasping a little when she saw her on the floor crying. She sat beside her and wiped her face, wrapping her small arms around her. She didn't know what was going on but she hoped that she could make her feel better._

Cassie knocked on the door before opening it, she gave the woman a smile before coming in, closing it behind her. She walked up to her desk and sat the bag down, "I figured you haven't eaten so I went to _Kale Me Crazy_ and brought you a kale salad and a Pink Splash smoothie."

"You and this crazy health kick." She shook her head, letting a small smile take over her lips, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She said as she sat down in the chair, crossing her legs as she looked at her and opened her own container, "How are you?"

Mercedes shrugged as she sipped down on the smoothie, "I would be better if my daughter was talking to me."

Cassie gave her a sad smile before looking down at her salad, "It may not be the same but she feels how I did when mom and dad told me all about the adoption. Although I grew up with you guys, I was a little hurt knowing that my parents didn't want me. I don't give a shit now because y'all are my family but at the time, I was deeply hurt. Just give her some time, I promise she'll come around."

"You're right."

Cassie smiled as she leaned back in the chair, sliding the food off the fork and into her mouth, "In the meantime, I think you need to have a serious conversation with Sam."

"Why should I?"

"Because from what it sounds like, the man is genuinely innocent in all of this." Cassie shrugged as she picked up her water and took a sip, "I know it may be hard but you need to talk to him."

Mercedes grunted as she leaned back in her chair, hearing a knock of her door, she sighed, "Come in." She watched as a nurse came in, handing her a piece of paper.

"This was dropped off for you."

"Thank you." She watched her nod and walk back out, opening it up, her eyes read the note carefully, "It's Sam, he wants me to meet up and talk."

Cassie eyes went wide as she stood up, gesturing to the phone, "Call him."

Mercedes knew that there was no way out of this. She looked at her sister before her hand slowly went over to grab the phone, despite the memories floating through her mind.

 _Mercedes tried to call him but once again, he didn't pick up. She curled up in her bed, drying the tears from her eyes. She has been calling him nonstop for days and he didn't answer. She even went by his house, his car was there but he didn't come to the door. She tried to get in contact with his parents and older siblings but no one answered as well. She did not want to believe what he said was true but from the looks of it, it was._

Mercedes came out of her short memory and took a deep breath, picking up the phone, she looked at the piece of paper and pushed the numbers in. After a few moments, her heart began to beat rapidly when she heard his voice on the other side.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi..it's me."

* * *

 **A/N. Surprise update because I know most couldn't wait until Friday, which is updating day for this story.** **I hope this answered a few questions that you might've had!** **Flashbacks are not done, secrets are revealed in the next chapter & it's definitely going to be jaw-dropping! BTW, I was seriously debating on writing Adele's lyrics at the end lmao.**


	9. Secrets Revealed

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Sam smiled as he thanked the woman at the cleaners, grabbing his suits from her. He turned around and headed outside, the cold air hitting his face as he unlocked his truck, putting his suits in the backseat before closing the door and getting in. He had just sat down when he heard his phone ringing, digging it out of his pocket, he saw it was the hospital and answered it, "Hello?"

"Um..hi..it's me."

Sam was definitely taken aback for reasons. One, he was shocked she actually called him and two, her tone of voice was a hell of a lot different from the last time they spoke to each other, "I'm surprised you even responded, Dr. Jones."

Mercedes pursed her lips as she looked at Cassie, who was mouthing that she would be outside, "I got your note."

"Again, I'm surprised you didn't throw it away." Sam quipped as he looked out the window. Hearing her sigh, he decided that it was time to get serious, "All pettiness aside, I'm really glad you called because I feel that we need to talk about a lot of things."

"As do I."

"Are you free now?"

Mercedes looked at her watch before speaking, nodding to herself, "I get off in twenty minutes."

"There's this coffee shop by your job, we can meet there if you want."

"That's fine."

Sam nodded to himself as he started up his truck, putting his seatbelt on, "See you then."

"Okay." She said as she hung up her phone, letting out a relieved breath. She couldn't believe that they were about to do this. She got up from her desk and put her white coat back on, placing her phone into her pocket as she headed out to finish the last of her rounds.

Sam parked his truck into the parking spot, getting out a few seconds later. When he got into the coffee place, he took a seat in one of the back booth so they could have some privacy. Ordering himself a cup of coffee, he pulled out his phone to go through his emails until she arrived.

Mercedes made sure she checked on all of her patients before she clocked out. She smiled at the security guard as she walked out to her car to put her things in. Since the coffee shop wasn't that far, she decided to walk. That and it gave her some time to get herself mentally prepared for this meeting. She didn't know what to expect out of this when things have been a mess from the start. Everything was so complicated and confusing now. She took a calming breath as she opened the door, smiling at the familiar barista, "Hey Haven."

"Good afternoon Dr. Jones." The red head smiled brightly from behind the counter, "You want your usual?"

"Not today. I'm just going to get some hot tea and I'll be in the back." She smiled as the girl nodded, putting the money on the counter. She turned on heels and made her way to the back. Seeing Sam on his phone, she walked towards him, clearing her throat as she sat facing him in the booth.

Sam locked his phone and sat it on the table when he heard her clear her throat, looking up at her, "Hey."

"Hi." She said softly as she folded her hands in her lap, looking back at him. She honestly didn't know what to say..I mean what could she say. She hasn't seen him in so long and she hated him for years because of what she thought was him not wanting to be in her or Dani's life.

"Thank you for coming." He said as he sat up, "I know you probably don't know what to say so I'll just talk. I've asked you here because of I want to talk..and I mean, really talk. I want you to look me in my face and understand that I would never do anything like this to you. That text..I don't know who sent it but I'm going to find out and I want you to be with me when I do."

Mercedes face scrunched up in confusion at the last statement he made, "Huh?"

"I've texted my family and I'm going to meet with all of them tomorrow."

"Sam..your family..couldn't have done this..could they?" She asked in disbelief as she stared at the man in front of her. Sam's family was like hers at one point. They were so loving and kind to her, she didn't think that none of them didn't like her, although it did cross her mind a couple times throughout the years.

"I really don't want to believe that they would but who else had access to my phone. One of them did it and I will find out which one it was. Family or not, what they did was beyond wrong and unacceptable."

Mercedes tucked her hair back behind her ear, thanking the girl when she came and sat her tea down in front of her. She looked back at him again and scanned his face, brown eyes connecting with his much softer green ones. Honesty. It took her a while because she didn't want to believe it but that's what she was seeing right now. "You really had no idea about me being pregnant, did you?"

"I didn't and if I would've known, I would've dropped everything to take care of you and her." He said sadly as he looked away, "It just sucks that it had to happen like this, you know?"

Mercedes nodded quietly as she let a sigh escape her mouth. She began to gnaw on her bottom lip as guilt cursed throughout her entire body. She made a big mistake, scratch that, a huge one. Deep down in her heart, she knew Sam would never abandoned her but in her seventeen year old mind and at the time, she went off on how everything was going. The text, him not answering her calls, that made her think what he said was true. Her eyes began to water more as she tried to blink her tears away, "I'm so s-sorry."

"Please don't be. It's not your fault." He said gently as he reached over and grabbed her hand, trying his best to ignore the instant feel of comfort and sparks when he did so, "If it was the other way round, I probably would've reacted the same way." Sam gave her hand a light squeeze before letting go, hearing his phone vibrate, he looked down at it and cursed underneath his breath. He completely forgot he had an interview in the next hour, "I'm sorry but I have to go. It's work."

"It's okay." Mercedes did as she wiped her tears away, clearing her throat once more as she watched him get up.

Sam slid into his coat and looked at her, "I really want you to be there tomorrow when this goes down. Can you do that for me?"

"I think I can."

Sam gave her a small smile as he stood up from the booth, "I'll see you then."

"Okay." She said quietly as she watched him leave out. She didn't know what she was getting herself into nor what was going to go down tomorrow but it was definitely going to leave everyone speechless.

* * *

 _"Come on Sam, we have to get on the road in the next ten minutes so we can beat traffic." Mary called down as she watched the twins run down the stairs and head out the front door._

 _"I'm coming mom." Sam said as he closed his bathroom door with a frown, picking his bag up from the floor and exiting out of his room. They were taking a family trip for a couple of days before he left for school. He grunted as he finally got down the stairs, looking at him mom, who was getting her purse, "Have you seen my phone?"_

 _"No, I haven't sweetheart." Mary said as she turned to look at him, "When was the last time you had it?"_

 _"I don't remember."_

 _"I'll buy you another one when we get to Orlando. Come on, we're late." Dwight said as he gestured the two out the house, turning off the lights and locking the door behind him._

Samsipped down the rest of his water as he sat in the living room of his parents house. He was ball of mixed emotions, something that was expected in this situation.

Summer took a seat beside him and laid her head on his shoulder, whispering, "You okay?"

"I will be when I find out the truth." He said just as everyone came in the room, looking at his little sister knowingly.

"Okay Sam, I cleared an hour from my Christmas shopping time to come here, what's up?" Shelby asked as she grabbed a small throw pillow and sat by her brother on the love seat.

"I won't take up much of your time. It's something really important I need to talk to all of you about." Sam said as he gently lifted Summer's head off of him as he stood, going to stand in the middle of the room.

"Why do I feel like we're in trouble?" Sander asked as he looked at his older brother confusedly, putting his hand back in his chip bag.

"Because someone is." He said with a blank expression as he looked at each one of them, "I'm not going to beat around the bush. I have a child."

"What?" Everyone called out in shock.

"Oh my god Sam, I didn't know you were dating anyone." Shelby said with excitement in her voice.

"I'm not."

"So you just had a baby out of wedlock?" Saint shook his head at his little brother, "Bro, you should know how to wrap up by now."

Sam glared at him before pulling out his phone and sending a quick message, "You're right, it was out of wedlock but she was made with love."

"She?" Mary asked excitedly as she looked at her husband, "We have a granddaughter."

Dwight smiled as he wrapped his arm around his wife, turning back to his son. By the look on his face, he knew that there was something else Sam was holding out on, "How old is she? When can we see her? Who's the mother?"

"I'm glad you asked that." Sam said as he turned around and headed to the front door.

Summer knew Sam was planning on talking to them today but she didn't know that he was bringing Mercedes. Her mouth dropped slightly as the older woman came in view, "Oh my god."

"Y'all remember Mercedes right?"

Mercedes was a ball of nerves as she stood beside Sam, looking at the shocked faces in the room. She couldn't believe that she was actually standing here in front of people she called her second family at one point. Although a part of her was nervous, she was fuming inside because someone in this very room ruined not only her and her daughter's life, but Sam's as well.

"Oh shit." Sander mumbled to himself as he looked between Sam and Mercedes, putting two and two together, realizing that Mercedes' daughter was Sam's.

Saint looked at the younger woman and gave her a small smile, "Mercedes, oh wow..it's been what..twenty years?"

"Yeah."

Mary took note to the short tone the woman gave and she squinted her eyes. She had always been a fan of her and her son's relationship in high school and she wondered why they ever broke up in the first place. Her eyes went wide as it finally clicked to why she was standing there, "You're the mother."

"She is." Sam spoke up for Mercedes, not liking the way his mother was looking at her, "She's the mother of my nineteen year old daughter."

"19!" Dwight called out in disbelief as he stood up from the couch, glancing at his son, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't know until now.."

"And before anyone jumps down throat asking why I didn't tell him..here." Mercedes said as she pulled a folder from out her purse and tossed it on the table, "I kept this for twenty years as a reminder why I needed to keep my child away from not only him but you guys as well."

Mary leaned forward and grabbed the folder, opening it up, she saw a copy of what looked like a text. She read it and her hand instantly covered her mouth, causing everyone to come and read it.

"One of you sent this text to Mercedes..it's around the same time I lost my phone before we went on our trip. I know it wasn't Summer and Sander because for one, they were kids." Sam felt his anger rising and he tried to calm himself down, "So, someone better get to talking..right now."

Summer looked between her parents, Shelby and Saint. Her eyes went back forth between the four before they stopped on a certain person. It had to be Saint who did it. Like she said before, he was always controlling and everything had to be done his way.

"It sure as hell wasn't me." Mary said as she stared at them both in disbelief, "I would never, ever do something so horrible to either one of you."

"This shouldn't even be in question for us Sam. We would never do anything like this." Dwight said a little hurt that his son actually thought this about them.

Mercedes crossed her arms over her chest and looked over at Saint and Shelby, raising her eyebrow. It had to be one of them.

"It was me."

Shelby shook her head as she got up and moved away from him, "Why would you do something like this?"

Saint shrugged as he licked his lips, "I was protecting Sam, at least I thought I was."

 _Saint smirked as he leaned against the counter. His girlfriend was volunteering here this summer so he decided to drop by to bring her lunch. Waiting for her to come back to the front, he saw Mercedes coming out on the other side of the room and he was going to speak until he saw her in tears with her mom. Sitting the food bag down, he moved a little closer but not too close so she wouldn't see him._

 _"I can't believe I'm pregnant mom." She said as she tried to stop her tears but she couldn't._

 _"It's going to be okay, sweetheart." Diane wrapped her arm around her shoulders, kissing her forehead as she led her out the building._

 _Pregnant. She was pregnant? Saint couldn't believe this. He couldn't let this ruin his little brother's life. He had such a bright future ahead of him and this was going to derail him. He needed to do something about it immediately. He walked out the clinic and hopped in his truck to head home. About fifteen minutes later, he was opening the front door, watching as his parents got the last of the things ready for the trip._

 _"We're leaving in twenty minutes, get your stuff in the truck." Dwight said as he went out the front door._

 _Saint nodded as he headed up the stairs and down the hallway, seeing Sam's door open, he heard the shower running. He stepped in his room and searched for his phone, finding it on his dresser, he grabbed it and headed to his room. Seeing he had a text from Mercedes asking to meet up, he shook his head as he began to write out a message. Once he was finish, he sent it and looked up when he heard the shower turn off. He looked back down at the text before turning the phone off and stuffing it his drawer, "No hard feelings, Mercedes." He said as he grabbed his bag and headed downstairs. Once he got everything he needed into his truck, he heard Sam asking everyone for his phone, "No, I haven't seen it but you heard dad, he'll buy you another one."_

Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was so pissed that his brother would even think of doing something like this to him.

Mercedes bit down on her bottom lip to keep her anger at bay. All of this time, she was mad at the wrong person and she should've known. Sam wasn't a cruel person at all and him doing that was so out of character.

"Why on earth would you do something like this Saint? Do you know how many lives you have ruined?" Mary said as tears began to fill in her eyes.

"I was doing him a favor." Saint said as he stood up from the couch and looked at them, "His life could've been completely different if he would've known about the baby. He wouldn't have graduated from college nor got into the league."

"And what about my life?" Mercedes spoke up as she glared at him with nothing but hatred, "I was seventeen. You don't think my life was different? I was so scared but I got through it. I decided to keep my daughter because of the simple fact that she was a blessing. I carried her for nine months. In those damn nine months, I was able to finish my first year of college. I got my undergraduate degree and after that, I went straight to medical school. Do you think that was easy? No, it wasn't but I got through it because I had to. I had to give up a lot of things because I had a daughter to take care of. I'm pretty sure that your brother could've done the same but no, you stripped him from that."

"You did this because you wanted to protect me? From what exactly?" Sam said as he walked up to him and pushed him, tears falling from his eyes, "I missed nineteen years of my daughter's life because of you. Her first word, her first tooth, her first steps, first day of school, first crush..prom, graduation. I missed everything. I can't get that back."

Sander stood up because he knew things were about to take a bad turn. For one, he could see the darkness in Sam's eyes and that look was all to familiar. He went and stood in between them so this wouldn't turn into an all out brawl, which Saint definitely deserved a punch of two in his face but at this point, Sam might kill him.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hit in your damn face because what's the point? It won't change the fact that you messed up my life. I'm done with you." Sam shook his head as he stepped back, turning away from them as he picked up his keys and walked out with Summer hot on his heels.

Mercedes went over to Saint and slapped him hard across his face, the sound echoing throughout the house, "That's not nearly what you deserve but don't worry, you have what's coming to you." She gave him one last look before turning away and heading out the house. Once she got outside, she saw Sam's truck was gone and she sighed.

Summer came back up the steps and saw Mercedes, giving her a sad smile, "Well, this wasn't my ideal way of reuniting with you."

Mercedes gave the young woman a smile before pulling her into a hug, "I'm sorry but..it's really good to see you. You have grown into a beautiful woman."

"You too." Summer said as she hugged her back just as tight before letting go, moving her hair back, "I'm sorry about all of this."

"Don't be."

Summer nodded as she grabbed something from her pocket and handed it to Mercedes, "This is Sam's address. I know it may be kind of awkward between you two but..he needs you right now."

"You don't have to say no more." She said softly as she grabbed the piece of paper, looking at it before her eyes went back to hers, "Thank you and we'll catch up soon."

"Okay." Summer said as she watched her go to her car. Sighing, she headed back up the steps, hearing the yelling coming from inside, she knew that this was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **A/N. For those who guessed Saint, you were correct! Smh, it's a mess and it seems that he still doesn't care that he did it. But don't worry, like Mercedes said, it will come back to him! Moving on, poor Sam, he really handled that way better than I would have! Next update we will get more Samcedes & flashbacks. AND, the friends, Jones' & Danielle will be back! **


	10. Christmas Comes Early

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes pushed the lock button on her key as she walked up the steps to Sam's house. Reaching the front door, she took her finger and pressed the doorbell, moving her hands into her pockets quickly so they could warm up. She had wanted to come by and make sure Sam was okay. It was the least she could do after everything that had happened. Hearing his weak voice on the other side of the door asking who it was, she knew he was still crying, "It's me..Mercedes."

Sam tried his best the clean his face so it wouldn't be so obvious but he realized that there wasn't no point in doing so. Pulling the door open, he peeped his head out, "Hey."

"Hey." Mercedes said softly as she titled her head to look at him, "I just came to check on you."

"I'm fine." He said in the most unconvincing voice, trying to muster up a smile to make her believe him.

Mercedes pursed her lips as she rolled her eyes, "You were never a good liar." She took a calming, tugging on her bottom lip, "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure." He pulled the door open and moved to the side, waiting until she came in fully before closing the door back. He gestured for her to go the living room, following behind her, "Would you like something to drink?"

Mercedes sat on the couch and shook her head, "I'm fine, thank you." Seeing a cat come up to her and began to rub against her leg, she smiled, "You have a cat?"

"Yeah, that's Dasher." Sam watched as Dasher hopped on the couch and got into her lap.

Mercedes chuckled a bit as she rubbed his fur, listening to his loud purring. She looked back at Sam and sighed, "I'm so sorry."

Sam held him hand up, sniffling hard, "Please stop apologizing." He looked up to ceiling as he leaned back on the couch, "Even after hearing my brother admit to fucking my life up, in some way, I still feel like this is my fault."

"It's not Sam." She said truthfully as she got up and went to sit by him. Even after all these years, she still felt like she was close to him. She grabbed his hand much like he did hers yesterday in the coffee shop and gave it a small squeeze.

Sam took his free hand and wiped his face, trying to reassure himself that it wasn't. He felt like he should've know something wasn't right when Mercedes didn't at least say goodbye, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How did you even muster the courage to come back here after everything?"

"Well, I didn't come straight back." Mercedes tucked her hair back behind her ear and glanced his way, "After everything went down, I left for college early. I stayed with Aunt and Uncle in California while I was there. I attended medical school snd once I passed my test and completed my residency at a local hospital, I decided that I wanted to stay for awhile. Honestly, I just really moved back eight years ago and the reason why is because my parents didn't get to see Dani as much."

Sam smiled at the mention of his daughter, lifting his head up, "She's a really good kid. We had coffee and a really great conversation the other day."

"Ah, so that's where she went." Mercedes should of known that she would reach out to him immediately. She knew growing up, it was hard for her to not have him around and it showed, "She's giving me the silent treatment so.."

"Teenagers. We did that once upon a time." He said with a genuine laugh for the first time since he has been home.

Mercedes smiled as she put her head down, noticing that she was still holding his hand, her cheeks warmed up as she slowly slid it out, "I have something for you."

Sam's face twitched up in confusion, "Me?"

Mercedes nodded as she stood up, telling him she'll be right back as she went back outside.

He didn't have to wait long because she came back in with a medium size box in her hand. She smiled as she handed it him, "It's just an early Christmas present."

Sam sat up and took the box from her, opening it up. He immediately felt the tears come back to his eyes in full force when he realized what it was. She had brought him pictures and videos from Danielle's childhood. He grabbed the first photo album and sat the box to the ground, opening up the book, the first picture he saw was the one when she was first born, "She looks so much like you."

"Really? I always thought she looked more like you." Mercedes said as she reclaimed her seat beside him, pointing at the picture with a smile, "She has your nose and lips."

Sam smiled as he continued to look at it. One book turned into another one then another one. A whole hour flew by as he went through the box of memories. He even watched one of the tapes Mercedes had and it was of Dani's first time walking. Of course he got emotional and it was expected. He missed so much, he couldn't get that back but he was grateful that Mercedes had given him these memories, "Thank you for this, I really mean it."

"You're welcome." She gave him a smile as she tilted her head to the side, her expression turning serious, "I know you've missed a lot..I know but I want you to be in Dani's life. We can't change the past but we can live in the present and make a better future."

"You're right." He said as he tore his eyes away from the photos to look at her, smiling, "Thank you again."

Mercedes nodded just as her pager went off, pulling it out of her pocket, she looked at it and sighed, "I'm needed at work. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine." Sam said as he stood up from the couch as she did, following behind her as she walked to the foyer. He opened the front door and watched as she stepped out, "Thank you for the pictures and videos."

"It's really no problem." Mercedes turned around to face him when she heard him talking, giving him another smile. She didn't know what possessed her to do it but she leaned forward and gave him a hug, getting rid of any awkwardness that they had between them.

Sam was shocked by the gesture but it didn't stop him from hugging back. He wrapped his arms around and hugged her tight, the feeling of her in his arms once again was an overwhelming emotion which caused him to let go. He cleared his throat and looked down at her, "Becareful driving."

"I will." She said as she gave him one last smile before walking down the steps and going to her car. This was a huge step for both of them. She wanted to repair their friendship not only for her daughter but for herself as well.

* * *

Danielle folded the last of her things and placed them in them in her drawer, taking a deep breath as she walked out the room. It's been a lot going on these past couple of days. With her meeting her dad, to her being mad at her mom, she literally felt bad about it. She knew she was wrong for how she treated her mom and it made her sick to her stomach thinking about the way she has been acting. Her mom was everything to her, she did everything for her and she legit felt bad. When she got down the stairs, she headed right for the kitchen. She decided that she would cook dinner tonight for her, something she often did but haven't done in awhile. Checking the clock, she should be home any minute. She took two bowls down from the cabinet and grabbed a big spoon. Opening the top of the pot with the white rice in it, she separated a good amount into the bowls before moving to the crockpot. She had decided to make homemade honey sesame chicken, topping the delicious chicken on top of the rice just in time.

Mercedes was dead tired. Her shift had ran longer than she had plan it too. With two emergency surgeries, she was beat. She wanted nothing more than to take a hot bubble bath and get in her bed. Closing and locking the front door behind her, a wonderful aroma hit her nose. She sat her purse on the table and slid out of her shoes, rubbing the back of her neck as she went into the living room, coming to a stop when she saw her daughter sitting drinks on the coffee table, "Hey."

"Hi mom." Dani said with a nervous smile as she stood straight up, clearing her throat as she ran her hands down the front of her pants.

"Having friends over?" Mercedes asked as she took off her coat and sat it on the couch, removing her watch and necklace as well.

"No." She answered confusedly when it came to her why she said that. She sighed as she walked closer to her, wringing her fingers nervously, "I made dinner for us."

Mercedes looked at her in shock before folding her arms across her chest, "Really?"

Danielle nodded as she put her head down, feeling tears immediately starting to form, "I'm so sorry for how I've been acting, I really am. I wasn't upset with you, I promise I wasn't..everything was just so overwhelming and I.."

Mercedes saw her having a hard time so she walked over and wrapped her arms around her, "It's okay."

"No it's not." She cried as she laid her head down on her chest, sniffling loudly, "I've never treated you like I have and I feel so bad for doing so. You were only trying to protect to me. And it wasn't like I didn't believe you because I did. I just..I don't know."

"Danielle it's okay baby, I promise." She lifted her head so she could look at her, wiping her tears away, "I understand why you were upset, I really do."

"I'm so sorry mommy, I swear I am." Her shoulders shook frantically as she stood in front of her mom.

Mercedes hugged her tightly as she laid her head sideways on top of hers, tears fogging up her own eyes, "I love you so much sweetheart, all I ever wanted to do was protect you, that's all. I never lied to you about anything Dani, I swear. The only reason I didn't want you to know who Sam was because I didn't want you to go looking for someone who was only going to let you down. But I was completely wrong."

Danielle sniffled as he tried to calm down, pulling back to look at her, "He really isn't a bad person."

"I know." Mercedes let her go as she sat down on the couch, "We both just found out last night that his brother was the one who did it."

"Oh my god." Danielle said with a frown playing on her face as she took a seat by her, "W-why would he do something like that?"

"He says he was protecting him.." Mercedes drifted off as she felt her anger starting to come back and she shook her head, "It doesn't matter now. The damage was done. We all have to move forward from this."

"Are you still mad at him?" Danielle asked as she wiped her tears away, looking at her mom with curious eyes, "My dad, I mean.."

"Far from it." Mercedes gave her a soft smile as she wrapped her arm around her, "I always knew deep down that he didn't do it but I was just going on what I thought were facts. When I found out the truth, it was a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Although I am still highly pissed off on what happened, I am happy for you and him because seeing how he reacted, made me know for sure that he wanted to be in your life."

 _I'm sure he wants to be in your life too_ Danielle thought. She sighed as she shook her head, she couldn't believe that someone could do this to her mom and dad. It made her so angry because even though she has only known her father for a week, he was the most sweetest person ever.

"You get it from him." Mercedes said as if she read her mind, smiling as she reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly, "Your sweet personality and gentle soul, that's all him."

Danielle smiled brightly as she leaned forward to give her a big hug, "I'm sorry again mom. I love you so much."

"I love you too sweetie." Mercedes kissed her cheek before pulling back, "Let me take a bath first then I'll come back down to eat dinner and maybe we can watch a movie. I might fall asleep though."

"Okay." Danielle smiled as she watched her get off the couch and head up the stairs. She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and sat back. She couldn't believe that his own brother would do something so cruel. It made her so mad that he took away a big part of her life. She wanted to call Sam to check up on him but seeing that it was after eleven, she figured that he was probably sleep. Putting her phone beside her, she decided that she'll call him tomorrow. When her mother finally came back down after fifteen minutes, she fixed them both a bowl of her delicious food and popped Rush Hour 3 in. They had finished their late dinner and about fifteen minutes into the movie, they were both sound asleep.

* * *

Santana sat on the counter beside Mike and sorted through some charts. She got off in ten minutes and decided to do some of the work for the night nurse. Although she was doing this, her mind was elsewhere. Mercedes had given her and Mike a rundown on what had happened and she wasn't as shocked as she expected to be. Others didn't see it but, Saint always seemed a little controlling to her when they were in high school. It was only confirmed when he did this bullshit to her friends. She sighed as she sat the folder down, lifting her head up when she heard someone call her name. She raised a brow when she saw Damien coming towards her, "Hey, what are doing here?"

"Mercedes called and said to meet her here." He said with a shrug as he finally reached them, "I'm hoping she took me up on my offer."

"What offer?" Mike asked as he looked at him up and down, not knowing who this man was.

"A second date." He answered the Asian man before holding out his hand for him to shake, "Damien Luckett."

"Dr. Chang, Mercedes' brother and best friend." _So this was the dude she went out with_ Mike thought to himself before going to back to the folders.

Before Santana could say anything, Mercedes came up and signed a piece of paper, giving it to another doctor, "Thank you." Mercedes gave him a smile before turning around to them, clasping her hands together, looking at Damien, "And thank you for coming down here, I won't keep you long."

Santana scanned the woman's face curiously, not knowing what the hell was about to go down but she couldn't wait to see.

"No problem, I hope this pertains to the flowers and card I sent you." He smirked as stared down at her with a knowing expression. He knew exactly how to woo a woman and had no doubt in his mind that she loved it.

"It does actually." Mercedes folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the counter, "I'm just going to be blunt with you, we're not going on a second date."

"Damn." Mike muttered underneath his breath as he tucked his lips into his mouth.

Damien smirk dropped from his face, "Why not?"

"You're arrogant, conceited and so sure things are going to go your way." Mercedes frowned at him, "Definitely a turn off."

"Oh shit." Santana said as she looked at the man with a small glare. She thought for sure that he was a sweet guy from the conversations they had but she guessed she didn't really know the real him. She cursed underneath breath as she ran her hand over her face.

"But it was evident that you had a good time." He pointed out with a small frown forming on his lips.

"It was also evident that I had a few glasses of wine and plus, I'm a wonderful actress." She smirked as she walked over and patted his shoulder before going around him, "You will find a _girl_ who's more up your speed. Good luck in life."

Damien looked at her in disbelief before throwing his hands up and walking away. He couldn't believe that she didn't like him because of his that. And the way she dismissed him..damn. No woman has ever done that to him.

"Fun my ass. I knew it was too good to be true." Mike said as he recalled the conversation they both had, shaking his head with a smile.

Mercedes snorted as she sat down in the chair in front of them, "It was fun at first. We had a nice conversation but it's about how he starting acting after the date."

Santana sighed as she looked down at her hands, "Sorry Cedes, I was just trying to help you get back out there."

"It's okay San." Mercedes smiled as she lightly tapped her leg with her foot, "Like I told you two before, I'm fine with being single."

"Okay, okay..we won't try and hook you up no more." Mike said as he looked at her, pursing his lips when he saw the big smile on her lips and how she began to clap.

Mercedes chuckled as she turned in her seat and rolled to the computer. She looked at the clock and saw that she had another hour before she got off and when she did, she could finally start her two week winter vacation.

* * *

 **A/N. Early update for this week. Let me know your thoughts! Sorry but I had to let Damien go. I had more planned for him but I changed my mind & it was time for him to hit the road. Back to the beginning, I really thought that it was a HUGE step and a big moment for Samcedes. Like Mercedes said, she wants to repair their friendship and that was definitely a great start to doing so. Dani and Mercedes relationship is pure love, I love it! You will be getting flashbacks of them soon, I promise. And BTW, don't think this mess with Saint is done, it's far from over and you will see. Have a great week & weekend. :) **


	11. Hopes For A Better Year

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Roxy Evans-Katelyn Causey**

* * *

Sam stared in the mirror with a frown on his face, grabbing the ends of the fabric before letting it go. He watched as the blonde peeped over his shoulder with a devious smile on her face, "I seriously have to wear this?"

Summer just smiled as she patted his shoulder, grabbing her phone so they could take a picture, "Say cheese." She snapped it once she smiled brightly, her brother on the other hand had a disgusted look on his face, "And yes, you do have to wear this. It's a fun tradition that me and my friends started a few years ago and I want you to participate in it."

"Fine..I'm only doing this because I love you."

Summer smiled brightly as she kissed his cheek before sitting on the couch, "Did Mercedes ever come by the other night?"

"She did actually, thanks to you." Sam gave her a knowing look through the mirror before going to take a seat.

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure you were okay and by the look on her face, she did too." Summer said innocently as she turned to face him, a serious expression on her face, "But be honest with me Sam, how are you really feeling because I was not expecting that cool, calm and collected reaction that you gave."

"I'm beyond pissed but I meant what I said. No matter how bad I wanted to punch him in his face repeatedly, trust me, I was thinking about doing it, it wouldn't change the fact that I missed majority of my daughter's life. I also meant what I said I want nothing to do with him. I'm done. There's no coming back from this."

Summer tucked her hair behind her ear, "Mom and dad are too, I believe. He got an earful when you guys left. And what makes me mad is that he doesn't seem like he's sorry but I'm not surprised. He's always been controlling but I never would've thought he would do something so cruel like this." Summer saw the look on his face and she shook her head, "Sorry, let's just not talk about it. How did your visit go with Mercedes? You didn't kick her out did you?"

"No I didn't kick her out Summer." Sam rolled his eyes as he reached over and grabbed a box, handing it to her, "We talked a little bit and she gave me this."

Summer looked down in the box, a smile creeping on her face when she pick up one of the photos, showing Mercedes' holding her niece in her arms at the hospital, "Oh my god, this is amazing. She was beautiful."

"She's even more beautiful now." Sam said with a small smile as he went through the box and found the picture he wanted to show her, "This one was taken back in September on her first day of college."

"Wow, she's gorgeous Sam. She looks like Mercedes but I can see a lot of you in her as well." Summer said as she stared at the picture of the girl smiling in front of the car, "When can I meet her?"

"When she's ready. I don't want her to feel overwhelmed, nor feel like I'm pressuring her to meet y'all."

"Understandable but it is Christmas, did you buy her something?" She asked curiously as she went through the box some more.

"I don't know what to get. I mean, what exactly do you buy a nineteen year old, who is your daughter and you just met, and not make it like you're trying to buy her love.

"You're way overthinking big bro." Summer said as she sat the box on the table and grabbed her keys, patting his knee as she stood up, "Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"To whether this storm called last minute Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve to get your daughter a gift."

"I'm not leaving with this on." Sam said as he stood up from the couch, grimacing at the ugly sweater.

"Yes you are." Summer said with a chuckle as she grabbed him by his arm and dragged him out the house, much to his dismay.

* * *

Dani slid into the kitchen in her socks, going on to peek into the oven, her eyes lighting up when she saw her dessert was almost finish. She had decided to do something really special and out of character this year. She was going to bake. Well..try at least. Hearing the oven go off, she grabbed the oven mittens and placed them on, opening it up, she pulled the pan out and sat it on the counter so it could cool down.

Mercedes tighten her robe across her as she went into the kitchen, yawning loudly as she ran her hands through her messy, wild curls, "What are you doing in here this early?"

"Mom, it's twelve in the afternoon." Danielle laughed as she closed the oven back up and watched as her mom went into the living room.

"Really?" She said tiredly as she laid down on the couch. For the past two days, she has been catching up on some much needed sleep and it felt amazing. She had no idea how tired she really was until she slept for eight hours straight.

"Yes." She shook her head as she took off the mittens and went in the room, sitting down on the ottoman, "And to answer your question, I made monkey bread."

Mercedes eyes shot open when she heard her last statement, eyeing her daughter strangely, "You cooked?"

"Baked. There's a difference." Dani corrected, seeing the look on her face, she huffed. She haven't had the best experiences in trying to cook or bake but she knew for sure that this time was different, "I followed a recipe I found on Pinterest."

"Baby, you should've just asked me for help. Everybody can't cook."

"Some can mom..just try it please." She said with a pout as she looked at her, "I need to know if it's good so I can take dad some."

Mercedes gave her a smile before sitting up, "Well if you're going to make something for him, it's not monkey bread. He's weird because he doesn't like sweets but he loves peach cobbler. You can make that."

"Mom, I barely made this..I know I can't cook peach cobbler. That's like an expert chef level. I'm below the beginner level." Danielle said truthfully, rolling her eyes when she heard her mother's laughter.

"I'll help you sweetheart, geez." Mercedes patted her knees as she got up and went to the kitchen.

Danielle smiled as she followed her into the kitchen, leaning on the side of the counter as she watched her get some ingredients out the cabinet.

Mercedes moved to the side and nodded when she looked at the dessert, picking a piece off, she tossed it in her mouth and began to chew, turning to her daughter with a nod of approval, "It's delicious."

"Really, you're not just saying that?" She looked at her with a big smile when she reassured her her. She couldn't help but move around in her seat excitedly. She cleared her throat as she leaned forward and watched her closely, "Was it weird?"

Mercedes pulled her back into a ponytail, making her to the pantry to get the canned peaches out, "Was what weird?"

"Being around his family..really just being around him again."

"It was."

Danielle nodded as she leaned back, watching her in silence when she came back. A smirk starting to pull at the corners of her mouth as she continued to look on, "You know, you were only suppose to guide me while making this for dad but.."

Mercedes stopped and looked her, seeing that all too familiar smug expression on her face, she frowned knowing exactly what she was thinking, "It's not like that."

"What's not like what?" She asked dumbly as she balled her fist and placed it underneath her chin, raising a brow, "All I said was.."

"Danielle, you're not good at using reverse psychology on me so don't even try." She said with a grunt as she turned around to grab the mixing bowl.

Danielle couldn't help but smile behind her back, leaning back into her seat. Although it was too soon, she did want to see her parents get back together. Even though her mom never told her who he was, that didn't mean she didn't tell her stories about them. Which as she grew up, she now understood that they were very much in love before this happened. It was a long shot but hopefully they still had some romantic feelings towards one another..which she had a feeling they did.

* * *

"That was a mess." Sam said as he looked out the window in horrid from the booth, turning back to his laughing sister.

"That's called last minute Christmas shopping." She smiled as she thanked the waitress for her drink, "And it didn't help the fact that you had fans wanting autographs and pictures. By the way, does that ever get on your nerves? I mean, having strangers practically knock you down trying to get close to you."

"It was weird at first but I have gotten use to it." Sam shrugged as he sat back against the seat, "I appreciate and have much love for them."

Summer smiled as she looked watched him grabbed the hot sauce and mix it with the ketchup, letting out a chuckle as a memory went through her mind.

 _"Eww, Sammy what is that?" Summer crinkled her nose as she watched him in disgust as he mixed the two condiments together._

 _"Ketchup and hot sauce." Sam said in an obvious tone as he put it on his fried chicken, looking up to see them both looking at him in disgust, "It's good. Y'all don't know what you're missing."_

 _"It's gross." Mercedes turned up her nose as she watched her boyfriend with a slight frown._

 _Sam smirked as he got up from his seat, picking the covered wing up from his plate and putting it to Mercedes' mouth._

 _"Stop Sam." Mercedes swatted his hand away, covering her nose and mouth up with her hand._

 _Sam smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, doing the same to his sister as well before going back to his seat._

"You know after that day, I started eating not only my chicken like you but my hash browns too." Summer snorted as she played with the straw in her drink, "I wanted to be just like you."

"I remember.."

Summer smiled as she played with the bracelets on her wrist, looking out the window, "I know this is a long shot but I was wondering if you're still coming over tomorrow. Mom and dad are still going to do everything and be cordial for the kids."

"I texted Roxy to bring the boys over this afternoon and Shelby for Elijah. I going to go ahead give them their gifts because I'm not coming."

"I'm glad you're not cutting them off too because they really do love you Sam."

"I would never do that. This has nothing to do with them."

Summer nodded as she grabbed the abandoned fry from her plate, tossing it in her mouth, "Speaking of kids and baby mothers."

Sam rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, "Here we go."

"What?" She laughed as she placed her arms on the table, giving him a knowing look, "I know you've been thinking about her because I have too. She's a total babe."

"Do people still say that?"

"I still say it, now stop trying to change the subject." She smirked as she scanned his face, "Admit it, you still have a thing for her."

Sam took a sip from his water and sighed, "Even if I did, it's been twenty years. I doubt she would still have feelings for me..especially after everything."

"But if she still does, would you want to get back with her?"

"In a heartbeat but like I said, things have changed since we were together."

Summer watched him shrug and she let out grunt, reaching to grab something out of her bag and handing it to him, "Give this to her. It's from you."

Sam pursed his lips, scanning the neatly wrapped box before looking back at her, "Really Summer?"

"Really Sam." She tapped the box as she slid out the booth, putting her coat back on."

"What is it?"

"You'll see.." She said as she placed the money down and pulled him out of the seat.

Sam looked at her skeptical before grabbing his coat, following behind her out the diner. What the hell was his sister getting him into?

* * *

Shelby sat on the couch, watching her step-son and nephews open their gifts from their uncle. She smiled as she sipped on her hot chocolate, letting out a small breath. She was sad that it had to come down to this. Their family was just getting back on the right track until the truth came out. She was so pissed at Saint for ruining their little brother life. It literally broke her heart when Sam said what he said because it was true. He couldn't get any of those precious moments back and that legit crushed her.

"Okay, okay..you're blocking my airways." Sam laughed as Timothy and Elijah hugged him tightly, thanking him for their gifts. He smiled when they let go and sat back on the floor, turning to Alex, "You like it?"

Alex pushed his glasses up on his face, looking over to his uncle with a smile, "How did you know?"

"Because you're my nephew and you were a lot like me growing up." Sam smirked as he watched the teen come up and give him a hug.

"Thank you Uncle Sam." He whispered as he hugged the man tightly.

"You're welcome kiddo." Sam patted his back, smiling back at him. One thing he had learned about his oldest nephew is that he was a shy, sweet and a very smart kid who didn't ask for much or was too afraid to ask. Alex had a love for astronomy, something Sam learned about from their talks. He had hinted a couple times how he would love to go space camp. With the permission from his mom, he had signed him up and paid for him to go to one next summer.

"We're going to go outside and play in the snow." Timothy said as he stood up from the floor, going over to the couch to put on his things.

"Don't stay out too long, it's freezing." Roxy said as she sat down beside Sander, watching as Alex helped Elijah get his coat on before the trio headed out. She crossed her legs and turned to Sam with a sigh, "I just want you to know how sorry I am Sam. I had no idea Saint did what he did."

"I'm not going to say it's alright because it's not. I'm just sick of talking about it. But I will be honest here Roxy, I'm always going to be there for my nephews, without a doubt but I'm done with him. I have no problem with you at all. As long as you're happy with who you married, I wish you well."

Roxy couldn't help but feel a twinge a guilt, although she had no reason to. She loved her husband, she wouldn't be married to him if she didn't but this was unacceptable. He hurt a lot of people and what he did was unforgivable.

"Sam's not trying to make you feel guilty in any way about being with Saint, he's just voicing how he feels and he has that right." Shelby spoke up once she saw the look on her face, looking over at Sam for reassurance.

"Of course I'm not, I'm just speaking how I feel. That's your choice and I can't tell you not to be with him because that's not right, I just want you to be aware of what he did."

"Let's just stop talking about him." Sander finally said when he notice the awkward tension in the room and honestly getting tired of it all, "When can we meet Danielle?"

"Like I told Summer, when she's ready." Sam said just as his phone rung, grabbing it off the table, he smiled as he stood up and went to the other room, "This is her now."

"That smile she brings on his face will forever be priceless." Summer said as she wrapped herself up in the blanket. She couldn't wait to meet her niece for so many reasons, one of them being that she made her brother really happy.

* * *

 **A/N. Sorry for no updates in last two weeks guys. I'm busy finishing up my last two weeks on my Freshman year of college! It definitely does not feel like I've been out of high school a year! Anyways, early post this week because my birthday is Saturday! So let me know your thoughts, this chapter wasn't that good because it's a filler but I promise the next one will be better & please excuse any mistakes. There will be slight time jump but you guys will know what happened. We'll be back on our regular update schedule soon & it's going to be better than ever with more surprises to come. :)**


	12. Moving On From The Past

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Dru Anderson-Timon Kyle Durrett**

* * *

Mercedes smiled as she held her eight month old niece in her arms, kissing her cheek as she walked down the stairs and to the living room where everyone else was. They were having a family day minus Danielle since she was in Dallas for the game, "What's the score?"

"Georgia's up by three, we're about to go into the fourth quarter." Charles told his sister as he stuffed some chips in mouth before getting out his seat, running into the kitchen to get him another beer.

"It's going to be a fight till the end, they're both playing good as hell right now." Dru said as he wrapped his arm around Megan. Dru was a dentist and Melanie's husband of ten years.

Megan looked at her sister with a frown, watching as she held Charles' baby girl, who was happily playing with her necklace, "She only likes you. She cries every time I hold her."

Mercedes snorted as she turned the baby to her, watching as her brown eyes stared back widely into hers with a smile, "She knows Cassie and I are the cool aunts."

"That's right." Cassie called out from the kitchen as she fixed her and her dad some tacos.

Diane chuckled at her daughters before turning her attention back to the game, spotting a familiar face on the screen, "There goes Dani."

"Speaking of Danielle." Charles said as he came back and sat down, looking over at Mercedes, "How does it feel knowing that you've been seeing your daughter and baby daddy on the same screen today?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she sat Layla back on her lap, "I didn't know I was suppose to feel a certain way."

"You're not, ignore your brother." Diane said as she rolled her eyes at her son, crossing her legs.

"I'm just saying.."

"I have no bad feelings towards him anymore. Matter of fact, we are actually rebuilding our friendship, just so everyone knows cause it seems that y'all can't stay out my business."

"Wait, so you're back talking to him? That means, he knows about Danielle? And why don't you have any bad feelings towards him? Because you should.." Dru said as he looked her in disbelief. Dru was like another brother to her and he had came around in the aftermath. Even though he didn't know Sam personally, he knew of him and that was enough for him not to like the man.

Mercedes looked at Megan baffled, "I'm surprised you didn't tell him."

"Didn't get a chance. Everything just happened so fast."

"Long story short, Sam didn't text Mercedes that message, his brother did. Sam honestly had no idea about Dani. Dani has met with Sam and they've already created a beautiful father-daughter relationship. And Sam's trying to get that old thang back named Mercedes." Cassie said once she came into the living room, ignoring the looks from them all.

"He's not trying to get back with me, Cas."

Cassie pursed her lips, crossing her arms over her chest as she raised a brow, "Oh yeah? Then what was with the gift he gave you for Christmas?"

"What gift?" Everyone asked in shock, her father definitely getting out of his seat from the kitchen to come look at her.

"Cassie." Mercedes scolded the woman, glaring once she smirked at her. She saw that all eyes were on her and she cleared her throat, getting up with Layla, "Come on snicker, we don't have to sit here and take this." She rolled her eyes as she walked out the room, hearing them calling for her to come back and repeatedly asking what gift. She smiled to herself as she walked up the stairs, shaking her head.

* * *

Sam moved the mic off his shirt and handed it back to the producer, turning to the other man beside him and shaking his hand before he got up and left. He did it. He had successfully commentated his first game and although it was nerve wrecking, he got through it and had a lot a fun.

"Not bad at all, Mr. Evans." The woman smiled as she held out her hand from him to shake.

Sam nodded as he shook her head, letting go, "Thank you Ms. Dane."

"Elizabeth." She corrected as she stared at him with a flirtatious smile, biting the corner of her lip, "How about we wrap this up with a night cap?"

Sam internally rolled his eyes, looking behind her when the door opened, a smile creeping on his face, "Sorry but I have plans. I'm sure Mike would love to though."

Elizabeth smiled dropped from her face as she watched him walk away, going over to some young girl, her eyes going wide.

"Hey."

Sam hugged her before pulling back, giving the woman a glare, "And you seem like the type that would run to the press with anything. So before you get any ideas, she's my daughter. Have a good night."

Danielle looked at the woman and smirked, giving her a small wave before she looped her arm with her dad, leading him out the room.

"It sucks that y'all lost but it was a good game."

"Yeah, I just feel bad for the team, they worked really hard this year." Dani said as they walked down the hallway, looking at him with a smile, "But on the bright side, we still have next year."

"That's true."

Danielle tucked her hair back and lifted up her right arm, pulling the sleeve of her jacket back, "By the way, I haven't taken this off."

"I'm glad you like it." He said with a smile as he looked at the bracelet on her wrist. For Christmas, Sam had brought Dani a charm bracelet with each charm representing things that she loved.

"I love it." She smiled as she put her arm down, leaning against him, "I have my cheer banquet next week and I was wondering if you would come..if you don't have anything else to do."

"I would love to come." Sam smiled as let go of her for a moment and opened the door, "When's curfew?"

"In two hours."

"Is pizza okay?"

Danielle nodded happily, getting a laugh to escape his mouth. She walked with him to his rental car and got in. They drove for the next ten minutes until they got to this Italian eatery called _Two Guys From Italy_. Dani thanked the waiter for bringing her drink, crossing her legs underneath the table.

"One thing you should learn about me is that I'm super greedy. I love food. That peach cobbler that you gave me for Christmas was amazing and I would love it if you made me another one."

Danielle giggled loudly, shaking her head as she sat up in her seat, "All credit goes to mom, she's the one who actually helped me."

Sam didn't know why but that statement alone made him happy, "Should've known because how else would you know that I love peach cobbler."

"Which I've been meaning to talk to you about. How come you don't like sweets but you eat peach cobbler?"

"Because I'm weird." Sam chuckled as he took a sip of his drink before sitting the cup back down, shrugging, "In all seriousness, I don't know. I use to love eating all the sweet stuff in the world when I was younger but as I got older, I just didn't want it anymore. Now, I eat a lot of sugar free things except peach cobbler."

"You don't even eat birthday cake?"

"It depends." He said just as they waiter came back with their food. They had ordered one large pepperoni and sausage pizza, which to surprise was their favorite.

Danielle pulled her piece and placed it on her plate, grabbing the cheese shaker and shaking the parmesan over it. She took a bite and nodded in approval, swallowing before looking back up at him, "So, there's something really important I want to talk to you about."

"I'm all ears."

Danielle moved her hair back that was falling from her ponytail behind her ear, "I've been thinking a lot about you and your family. I um, I don't want to meet them right now. Majority of the reason is because I just want to focus on us and build our relationship before anything..I hope that doesn't upset you."

"No, it doesn't upset me at all. That's your decision and you're doing what you're comfortable with. I respect that and in all honesty, that's what I've been telling them since the beginning. I don't want to put you in a position where you're not comfortable."

Dani eyes connected with his and she smiled, "Thanks dad."

Sam felt his heart began to flutter when he heard her call him dad. It was the first time she had said it out loud to him and it honestly did something to him. He sent her a small smile, trying not to let hisself get emotional, "Y-You're welcome."

They spent the rest of their time talking before they left to make Dani's curfew. Both of them having an early flight in the morning, they promised each other that they would see the other soon.

* * *

The next few the days were busy for everyone because it was the end of the holidays. Sam had finally gotten his official work schedule and he would be working five days a week from seven to twelve, which wasn't as bad as he expected. Dani had started her spring semester and she already couldn't wait summer to get here. Mercedes had went back to the hospital and as expected, she was immediately met with a lot of work. After their hectic week, they still had the energy to make it to Danielle's cheer banquet. It was amazing. She has won most spirited freshman and got a leadership award. Sam surprisingly had a good time and this moment was really special to him because this was the first event he has been to for his daughter. After it was over, Mercedes had ask Sam to come over to her house so she could give him some more pictures.

Mercedes watched as the girl sleepily walked up the stairs, mumbling a goodnight to them both. She laughed as she turned back around to Sam, who was standing in the doorway, "Come on."

Sam stuck his hands in his pockets and stepped passed the threshold, looking around, "Your home is nice."

"Thank you." She said as she locked the door, turning back around, she slid out of her heels and sat them to the side, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water is fine."

Mercedes nodded as she went to the kitchen and grabbed two water bottles out the refrigerator, coming out, she handed him one and gestured for him to come to the living room. She sat down on the couch, pulling her legs underneath her as she watched him sit down on the other end. She grabbed the photo books and handed them to him, "Congratulations by way."

Sam looked at her confusedly as he took the books, "For what?"

"Your new job. I think it fits you perfectly."

Sam laughed lightly as he nodded, opening up the first one, "It's different but I like it."

"That's good." She played with the ends of the dress before she open her mouth again to speak about something seriously, "And congrats on two years."

Sam's hand suddenly stopped on the page, feeling his breathing literally slow down and the embarrassment starting to form, "How did you know?"

"I saw your bracelet." She turned her head to the side when she notice how his mood shifted, "It's nothing to be embarrass about."

"It's not that easy. I'm a recovering alcoholic. I'm always going to be embarrass about what I did and how I treated my family."

"You shouldn't be because guess what? You got through it and I can almost guarantee that you are still taking it day by day but you're doing a wonderful job. Getting over an addiction is not easy, trust me. I've seen a lot of patients go through it. Some will fall and some will be strong enough to power through because they have that support and they want it for themselves. I believe you are that person and I'm going to support you one hundred percent."

"Well it's good to know that, even though I don't deserve it." Sam shrugged as he looked back up at her, "I brought this on myself."

"Yeah, you did but I know most of it had to do with your mom's cancer." Mercedes saw the surprised look on his face about her knowing, "Sander now comes by the hospital every other day to talk my ear off. He mention it one day."

"I'm sorry." Sam laughed a bit, keeping a mental note to kill his little brother later.

"It's okay, really. It's nice to actually talk to them because they were just small kids when I was around." She said as she sat her water bottle on the table, placing her hands in her lap, "Changing subjects, Summer actually told me what she did with the gift and it was pretty cool. It was a clip on pin shaped as stethoscope"

"I had no idea what it was, she just told me to give it to you." Sam chuckled before turning serious, placing the box in front of him, getting up from the couch, "But I did get you a gift that's actually from me."

Mercedes watched as he walked out the living room and out the front door. She waited for a minute until he came back with a wrapped gift in his hands, watching as he handed it to her, "Sam, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted too. Plus, this is long overdue. Open it." He watched her closely as she tore the paper off, smiling when she lifted the top of the box.

"Oh my god." Mercedes said as she stared at the item, looking back up at Sam with a amazed expression, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly.

"I made a promise that I would buy you one when you became a doctor. I always keep my promises." Sam said as she lifted it out the box. Sam had brought Mercedes a ceil blue colored littman stethoscope with small diamonds embellished on the top part of the chest piece.

"This is so beautiful." She felt herself getting emotional and she tried to push it back but she couldn't. It wasn't that she was crying over a damn stethoscope, it was because he remembered and he kept his promise. Without any hesitation, she leaned over and hugged him tightly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said as he hugged her as well, only pulling back when her pager went off, causing her to groan.

Mercedes picked it off the table and looked at him, throwing her head back lightly, "I can't get a break for nothing."

"You're the best at what you do, Dr. Jones." Sam said as he stood up from the couch again, grabbing his keys from his pocket, "I should get going."

"I'll walk you out." Mercedes said as she stood up and followed him to the door, opening it up, she leaned against the frame once he turned around, staring directly into his eyes, "Thank you for coming to Dani's banquet tonight, she was really, really happy."

"If it didn't show enough, I was pretty ecstatic as well." He laughed as he looked passed her and up the stairs, "Even though she's nineteen now and I've missed a lot, she's my little girl and from here on out, I won't be missing anything else."

Mercedes nodded as she stepped forward and kissed his cheek, a little shock by the action herself but she didn't let it show, "I'm glad. Goodnight Sam."

Sam couldn't believe she just did that and even though it was just his cheek, he immediately felt the familiar sparks running through him. He tried to stop the lopsided grin that came onto his face but failed miserably as he began to walk backwards to his truck, "Goodnight, Dr. Jones."

 _"Maybe it's not always about trying to fix something broken. Maybe it's about starting over and creating something better."_

* * *

 **A/N. SURPRISE! Here's another update for the weekend! Let's start from the beginning, you guys have to love the Jones', they are hilarious, especially Charles. PSA, Sam does not like thirsty chicks, I repeat, Sam does not like thirsty chicks, lmao. What did you think about Dani saying she wanted to wait a little while longer until she meets the other side of her family? I know a lot of you want to know what exactly happen that night with the Evans' & you will find out soon. Sam & Danielle relationship is blossoming really well & I love it! (BTW, y'all come up with a name for them) NOW, Samcedes. I thought it was really sweet for Mercedes to say what she did to Sam & that gift Sam gave her brought back a lot memories, which you will get a flashback next chapter! It's like every time they get together, work always gets in the but something happens that is going to bring them a lot closer. But will it be in a good way or bad? Hmm, I'm going to leave y'all with that thought! Let me know what you think! My birthday is tomorrow & this is my present to you guys! Have a safe & wonderful weekend :) **


	13. Flashbacks

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **TIME FRAMES- NINTH GRADE & SENIOR YEAR.**

* * *

 _Mercedes pushed her glasses up as she read over the chapter for the fifth time, sighing. She had a big AP Chemistry test tomorrow and she wanted nothing more than to get an A. She had been doing extremely well in this class that was mostly for the upperclassmen._

 _Sam tossed the football in his hands as he walked outside, half listening to what his friends were saying. He looked out towards the area, seeing everyone having lunch until he spotted her. A smile began to take over his features as he walked down the steps, ignoring the calls of his friends. He walked up and sat in front of her at the table, clearing his throat, "Do you ever not study?"_

 _Mercedes rolled her eyes and looked up at the blonde boy before going back to her book, "Unlike you, I actually want to have a successful life."_

 _"Ouch." Sam said with a small smirk as he sat the football on the table and putting his arms on top of it, "You're hurting my feelings here Jones."_

 _"Can you please leave me alone Evans? I have a big test tomorrow and you're interrupting my study time."_

 _"Get your head out of the books for a minute Mercedes. Live a little."_

 _Mercedes huffed as she closed her book and glared at him as she stood up from the bench, grabbing her things and walking away._

 _"Woah, wait." Sam got up quickly and went to stand in front of her, "Look, I'm sorry. I just came over because I wanted to invite you to my birthday party Saturday. It's going to be at the roller rink."_

 _Mercedes crossed her arms and looked at him in disbelief, "I'm not going to be apart of no sick joke."_

 _"What are you talking about?"_

 _"I'm a nerd and you're popular, we don't mix. I don't hang around the 'it' crowd okay? Knowing how you guys roll, I'm probably involved in some joke but I'm not going to let you all play me."_

 _"You say you don't hang around the 'it' crowd but Mike is on the football team, Santana's a cheerleader, and you three are best friends. I doubt anyone would ever attempt to try anything on you and plus, it may not seem like it but a lot of people like you."_

 _"I'm not going okay? Thanks but no thanks." Mercedes said as she gave him one last look before walking away._

 _Sam watched her retrieving form sadly before picking up his ball, he turned and jumped when he saw Santana come up to him._

 _"What did you say to her?" Santana said as she glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest as she stepped to him._

 _"I just wanted invite her to my party that's all." Sam said with a sigh as he rubbed the back of her neck._

 _Santana soften her harden features and looked at him seriously, "You like her don't you?"_

 _"A lot and I know she won't go out with me because she thinks she's not my type or think it's a joke but it's not." He grunted as he sat down defeatedly on the bench, "I really like her but she wouldn't even believe me if I told her."_

 _Santana could tell that he was being honest and she hated that. Why? Because although Sam was a good person, she didn't want to see her friend get hurt, "If you really mean what you say Sam and you really like her, then I'll help you but it's not going to be easy."_

 _"You will?" He asked excitedly, watching as the girl nodded. He jumped up from the seat and hugged her tightly, "Thank you."_

 _"Gross." She pushed him off of her, sending him another glare before straightening out her clothing, rolling her eyes at the mile long smile on his face, "Don't thank me yet..I still have to figure out a plan but I will keep you inform."_

 _Sam watched her walk away and he smiled. Walking back over to his friends with an extra pep in his step. He was happy that Santana was going to help him out. He really did like Mercedes and he hoped that they could somehow become friends and slowly merge to being more than that._

* * *

 _Mercedes chewed on the top part of her pen as she stared out the window. Letting out a loud huff as she laid back on the couch, moving her leg anxiously._

 _Sam swallowed the last of his drink before turning to her with a small smile, "Don't stress yourself out babe."_

 _"I am trying not to but I wish he would hurry up." Mercedes said with a pout as she looked at him, "I'm a nervous wreck."_

 _"You have nothing to worry about, I'm sure you got in." Sam watched her start to frown and he sat up, placing his hands on the sides of her face, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her pouty lips, "You're incredible and very smart, there's no way that you couldn't have gotten in."_

 _Mercedes let a faint smile take over her lips as she looked into his eyes, her voice mimicking a small child, "You think so?"_

 _"I know so." He kissed her again before looking behind her, noticing the man walking up, he smiled, "He's here."_

 _Mercedes jumped up from the couch and ran to the door, opening the it quickly, she smiled at him, "Afternoon Mr. Henry."_

 _"Hey there Mercedes." The middle age mail man said with a bright smile as he handed the girl their mail and putting an envelope on top, "I believe this is what you're waiting f_ _or."_

 _Mercedes stared at the envelope that said Stanford University, she looked back at him and nodded with a smile._

 _"Good luck sweetheart but I have a good feeling that you're not going to need it." He said before giving her a wave and stepping down off their porch._

 _"Thank you." Mercedes called out before closing the door, turning around, she said a quick prayer as she was opening it up, her heart was beating rapidly as she unfolded the letter, "Dear Ms. Mercedes Jones.."_

 _Sam got off the couch when he heard Mercedes reading, going to the foyer, he saw her with an emotionless face and he went up to her, "Babe?" He watched as she lifted her head up with tears in her eyes. Damn. He didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing because she wasn't saying anything._

 _Mercedes read the letter again before looking at Sam, a smile slowly creeping on her face, "I got in."_

 _"YES!" Sam yelled excitedly as he leaned forward and hugged her tightly, picking her off the ground as he swung her around. Hearing her squeal, he sat her down to her feet and placed small kisses on her lips, "I'm so proud of you, congratulations baby."_

 _"Thank you." She smiled at him before wiping her face, she didn't know why but she couldn't stop crying. She worked really hard and she was praying that she could get into this school because it was one step closer to her dream._

 _Sam grabbed her hand and led her back to the couch, kissing the tip of her nose before sitting down, "So when you become a doctor, I get free visits right?"_

 _Mercedes snorted in laughter, playfully pushing his shoulder, "Sam."_

 _"I'm serious. I mean, I should right? I think it's right that as your future husband and father of your kids, I shouldn't have to pay."_

 _"You want to have kids?" Mercedes raised a intrigued brow, never hearing him mention it before._

 _"I mean, yeah..down the line, surely not right now. Maybe when we finish college and get stable jobs, then yes." Sam looked at her and laughed at the shock expression on her face, "Don't look so surprise Jones, I want you to be my wife and the mother of our ten children."_

 _"Hold the hell up, ten?" She started to laugh uncontrollably, throwing her head back, "I'm not popping out ten kids for you Sam, maybe one..or even two but sure as hell not giving you ten."_

 _"Well at least I put it out there." He laughed with her for a minute before getting himself together, "But I do want that to be our future, you, me and some mini-mes."_

 _"I want that too." She said softly as she laced their fingers together, "Who would've thought that we would've gotten together?"_

 _"Me. I knew for sure that this was going to happen." Sam said with a smile as he leaned over and hugged her tightly. He hoped that this was his forever because he couldn't imagine life without her. But what he didn't know was there was someone who was going to mess up his plans for the future._

* * *

 _Mercedes sighed as she looked out the window. She really didn't want to be going anywhere on this Saturday but her best friend had begged her to come to the new mini golf course that had recently opened._

 _"You girls call me when you're ready, I'm going to be across the street buying something I don't need." Mr. Jones said with a chuckle as he waited for them to get out._

 _"You're going to be in deep.." Santana started but stopped when she saw his glare through the rear view mirror. She gave him an innocent smile before unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out quickly._

 _Mercedes laughed as she shut the door, shaking her head as she turned to her friend._

 _Santana looped her arm with hers as they walked to the front, paying the little fee so they could go in. Santana looked around for a moment before finding a table so they could sit at before they started._

 _"What made you want to go here? You're not the playing mini-golf type." She chuckled as she walked side by side with her, moving a piece of her curly hair from out her face._

 _"Well.." She stretched out as she stopped at the top two steps, looking at her with a guilty look, "Don't hate me."_

 _"Why would I hate you?" Mercedes asked confusedly before looking behind her, seeing Mike, Brittany and a face she didn't want to see. Her nostrils flared as she looked at her before turning around, "Nope, I can't believe you. I'm leaving."_

 _"No, Mercedes please don't go." Santana said as she ran and got in front of her, "Sam was kind of bummed when you didn't come to his party and he wanted to hang out with you. He likes you Mercedes."_

 _Mercedes stared at her before bursting out in laughter, causing Santana to look at her strangely, "He does not like me."_

 _"Yes he does."_

 _"No, he doesn't San. I don't know what game you two are playing but I'm not going to be apart of it."_

 _"Mercedes, I've been you're best friend since kindergarten. Do you really think that I would let anything or anyone do something that is going to hurt you?"_

 _"No."_

 _"Exactly. So please stay. We're just a couple of friends who are going to be having fun, playing golf."_

 _Mercedes looked at her and rolled her eyes, "Fine but don't expect me to have fun."_

 _"Great." She looped her arm back with hers and turned back into that direction, walking down the two steps. As they got closer, she smiled before speaking, "And I forgot to mention that you're partnered with Sam."_

 _"Santana." Mercedes groaned before they stopped, standing in front the table everyone was sitting at._

 _"Finally, I thought you two were going to flake on us." Mike said with a big smile, looking over to his best friend, he saw the frown on her face and he knew that she was unhappy, "Okay, let's start then."_

 _Sam looked over at Mercedes and the displeased look on her face. He knew it wasn't going to be easy but she was definitely worth the try._

 _"Why does Cedes look so mad?" Brittany whispered to Santana as they walked to get their clubs, only to get a 'shh' as a response._

 _Mercedes sighed as she unfolded her arms and reluctantly walk beside Sam. She watched as he handed her a club and she grabbed it, giving him a half-polite thank you. She really didn't want to do this because what was the point?_

 _Sam took in her quiet demeanor and he frowned a bit. She wasn't even giving him a chance and he hated it. He hated that she felt like he was this jerk of a guy when he wasn't. Sam cleared his throat as they came to the first hole. What was so cool about this new place is it had different directions you could start. So, he had decided that him and Mercedes would start on Mt. Everest, while the rest of their friends went in other directions. He leaned against his club and watched as she went first. A small smile began to take over his features as he watched her try to hit the ball, "You know, for a girl so smart, you sure don't know how play golf."_

 _"I know how to play golf." Mercedes rolled her eyes and tried to hit the ball again but she couldn't, letting out a frustrated breath._

 _Sam laid his down and walked over to her, "Let me help you and before you say you don't need it, you do." He watched as she just frown and he shook his head with a chuckle, getting behind her, he straighten out her stance, "First you have to relax." He wasn't going to risk being cliche or getting slapped in the face by standing behind her so he stood close to her on the side and placed his hands on top of hers, "Now, all you have to do is focus on the ball and imagine it's someone you don't like and hit it really hard."_

 _"That's going to be really easy to do because you're standing right here."_

 _All Sam could do was smirk as he continued to help her, "You know, I don't think you hate me as much as you think you do."_

 _"Hate is a strong word. I don't hate people, I dislike. And I just dislike you very strongly."_

 _"And why is that?" Sam asked seriously as he looked at her, crossing his arms over his chest, "What have I done that made you not like me so bad?"_

 _"No, it's not me okay?" Mercedes said as she stood up straight and looked him dead in the eyes, "It's you popular kids who think everyone is beneath you. The way that y'all treat people who are not like you is horrible and it's wrong. You guys started this in middle school and now that we're freshman, you do it too on top of us having to deal with upperclassmen."_

 _"I've never done anything to anyone Mercedes, honest to god truth."_

 _"Guilt by association. It doesn't matter if you haven't done anything personally, you see it happening all the time and you don't do anything about it, that's even worse." Mercedes said as she shook her head, putting the club down and walking pass him._

 _Sam chewed on his bottom lip as he watched her walk away. He had to admit, everything she said was true but it's not like he haven't tried to get them to stop. He turned around and caught up with her, grabbing her arm gently, "Mercedes, wait."_

 _"What?" She asked as she yanked her arm back and crossed them both over her chest, raising a curious brow._

 _"I'm wrong and I realize that but..I'm not a bad guy, I swear. Should I speak up more? Yes, I really should because you're right, bullying is wrong and I hate it when people treat other people bad." He sighed as he looked down at his shoes, "I really like you Mercedes and you may not believe me but I do. I have since seventh grade. I'm really hoping that you can give me a chance and let me prove to you that I'm not like the others. I want to be your friend and I want you to like me."_

 _Mercedes stared at him for a moment to see if he was lying and when she was sure he wasn't, it finally hit her to what he said. He liked her. Santana really wasn't lying when she said that. She didn't know what to say, opening and closing her mouth before she took a deep breath, "Fine."_

 _Sam couldn't contain the smile that took over his lips and he held out his hand for her to take, "A friendly gesture, I promise. I don't want you to fall going back up."_

 _Mercedes looked at his hand before looking back at him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she grabbed his hand. She did not expect the night to take a turn like it did, but she was happy it did._

* * *

 _Sam frowned deeply at the tugging that was going on in his head, rolling his eyes at the laughter, "Can y'all ease up a bit?"_

 _Summer looked down at him with a wide smile before shaking her head no, giggling loudly, "You should wear your hair like this under your helmet tomorrow."_

 _"Um, no. I will be sweating and it will get all tangled up then I would have to shave all of my hair off."_

 _Mercedes chuckled as she tied the last scrunchies to part of his bang, sitting back on the ottoman, "You look cute."_

 _Sander laughed loudly at his big brother from the other couch, earning a glare from him. He turned around when he heard his dad calling for him and his little sister to help with the groceries._

 _Once the kids were out the room, Mercedes picked up her camera from the table and quickly took a picture of Sam._

 _"Babe, no." Sam said with a grunt as he leaned back on the couch._

 _Mercedes giggled as she put the camera down, "That's going in my scrapbook. Just think about it, years from now you're going to laugh at it."_

 _"Probably not." He lifted his head back up and just stared at her with a smile._

 _"What creeper?" She asked as she stared back at him in amusement, leaning forward the brush some of his bangs out of his face._

 _"I'm just really happy that you gave me that chance."_

 _Mercedes face twisted up in confusion before it dimmed on her what he was talking about._

 _"Hey Mercedes, hey..oh shit son." Dwight said once he came in, looking at his son's head in horror, "Trying something new?"_

 _"No dad, I'm not." Sam said sarcastically as he watched the twins laugh and his mom holding back her laughter. He groaned as he got up from the couch and went to the mirror so he could start taking the little scrunchies out._

 _Mercedes snorted as she got up and went to stand beside him, looking at their reflections in the mirror as she stood up her tippy toes and gave him a kiss on his cheek, "And I'm glad I gave you that chance too."_

 _"I love you." Sam said seriously once he finish messing with his hair, turning to look at her._

 _"I love you too." Mercedes smiled as she leaned up and kissed him on his lips sweetly before pulling back, grabbing his hand and leading him to the couch._

* * *

 **A/N. More flashbacks in the next update & the drama is just getting started. Like I said previously, we will know exactly what happened that night with the Evans' & something happens that is going to affect Samcedes but will it be good or bad? You'll have to wait & see. ;) **


	14. Gone In A Blink Of An Eye

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Lourdes Ramirez- Diane Guerrero**

 **Gigi Wester- Tina Casciani**

* * *

 _Mercedes monitored the young man carefully before reading down his chart again, letting out a frustrated sigh as she looked back at him. She couldn't believe this was happening again._

 _"It's back, isn't it?"_

 _"I'm afraid so." Mercedes told him softly, her heart tightening as she watch him close his eyes and lay back in the bed, looking over to his mother who left out the room in tears, "But at least we caught it early."_

 _Tommy shook his head as he turned to look at her, "I don't want to go through what I did again. If it gets to that point.."_

 _"We are not getting to that point, Tommy." Mercedes cut him off, knowing exactly what he was about to say next. He had made peace. Something she has seen a lot of cancer patients do but she wasn't going to let Tommy do this to himself. He was strong and he could get through anything. She was going to make sure he got through this. Mercedes stood up from her chair and gave him a sad smile, "Let me go check on your mom." She walked outside the room and found the older woman in tears, shaking her head before walking over and giving her a hug, tears beginning to form in her own eyes._

"You're spacing out again." Tommy said as he waved his hand in front of her face.

"Sorry, sorry." Mercedes chuckled as she closed his chart, standing up with a smile. Tommy was in today for his regular checkup and she had nothing but wonderful news for him.

"Am I good?"

"You're better than good. Your vitals are normal and there's no sign of cancer, thank God for that." She said as she gestured for him to get up off the bed as she removed her gloves and went to the sink to wash her hands, "I can officially move you off you weekly visits and to one per month."

"You're a God sent, Dr. Jones. You have taken so good care of me, I can't thank you enough."

"I promise you're trying to make me cry and I don't appreciate that." Mercedes laughed as she patted his shoulder and led him out the room.

"I'm just being honest." He smiled as he turned and hugged her, thanking her once again, "I'll see you soon."

"Good luck on your midterm exam." Mercedes called after him, smiling when he turned around and thanked her before walking out the building.

"I'm pretty sure she's going to say yes." Danielle smiled at her friend as they walked into the hospital, spotting her mom immediately, she called out for her, "Hey mom."

"Hey Ms. Jones."

"Hey girls." Mercedes greeted the two girls before putting Tommy's chart up, looking at them with a smile, "What are you two doing here?"

"We just stopped by to say hey and Lo actually wants to ask you a favor." Dani bumped her shoulder against hers, giving her a look.

"I'm listening." She looked at the girl, who gave her a nervous smile in return.

"I-um, I wanted to know if it would be okay if I-can shadow you one day. It's for my class and worth half of my grade. Basically, I'm getting info about the medical field and seeing if I really want to go into this."

"It's definitely okay, Lourdes." Mercedes smiled at the girl, earning one in return, "I'm free Monday."

Lourdes let out a small squeal as she went over and gave her a her a hug, "Eso es perfecto. Muchas gracias, Ms. Jones. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome sweetheart." Mercedes chuckled as she hugged her, only pulling back when she heard the man's voice.

"Code black, Dr. Jones." Dr. Spencer said as he ran passed her and went out the doors.

"What's a code black?" Danielle asked curiously as she watched the nurses starting to move around quickly, just as her phone dinged.

"You girls need to get out of here. I'll see you later." Mercedes said, kissing her daughter's forehead head before heading in that direction as well.

Danielle looked at her phone and gasped when she saw the news alert, "Oh my god."

Lourdes looked over her shoulder and watched the news clip starting to play. There had been huge accident that involved multiple cars on the highway. She turned to look at her friend, "We need to get out of her because it's about to be chaotic."

"Okay." Danielle said as she looked into the direction that her mother went, seeing her getting her things on, she reluctantly turn and walked out with her friend, praying that everyone was going to be okay.

* * *

Sam sat back in his chair, going over his notes for tomorrow's segment. This week has definitely been busy because they have been working with the Superbowl and the upcoming preparations for March Madness.

Gigi chewed on her gum as she looked at Sam with a smile, shaking her head as she went over to him and tapped his head with her pen, "You've been going over that at least a hundred times."

"I know, I just have to get it right." He chuckled as he gave the woman a smile.

Gigi smirked as she grabbed the papers from his hand and sat down on his desk, "Seriously, you're going to do fine, you don't need them. You always do good."

Sam grunted as he leaned his head back, letting out a deep sigh, "I know I do."

"Arrogant much." She kicked his foot gently, letting out a small laugh, earning one from him as well, "Let's get out of here. I'll buy you an early dinner."

Sam lifted his head up and looked at her, opening his mouth to answer but his phone interrupted him before he could. Picking it out of his pocket, he slid the answer button, "Hello?"

"Sam...thank god you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sam asked confusedly as he listened to his brother on the other side of the phone, who sounded like he was out of breath.

"There was a bad w-wreck on the highway close by your way and..dammit." He cursed as he ran his hand roughly through his hair, taking a calming breath, "I'm at the hospital. Saint, Roxy and the kids were involved."

"Are they okay?" Sam said as he got out his seat quickly, causing Gigi to jump slightly, looking on worriedly as the man searched for his keys.

"Saint and Roxy are..I d-don't know about.."

"I'm on my way." Sam cut him off as he hung up the phone, ignoring the calls from Gigi. He didn't have time to explain to her what was going on. He needed to get there to make sure his family was okay.

* * *

"Where is Dr. West and Queen?" Mercedes asked from under her mask as she stepped around the nurses and went over to another patient, taking the scissors and cutting her shirt open. It had been a flow of people coming in. The accident was really, really bad. The hospital that she worked at was the closest, so this was where they were bringing everyone.

"They both went to help on sight." One of the nurses said as she ran over to Mike and handed him another stack of gauges.

Mike took the gauges and looked down at the man as he move his hand from the hole and stuffed the gauges in, causing him to groan out in pain, "That's should stop it for now, take him upstairs and prepare for surgery." He took off his gloves and threw them in the garbage, grabbing another pair and moving to another patient.

"Shit."

"What's wrong?"

"It was too much blood." Dr. Spencer said as he stepped back from the bed, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his arm, "She's gone."

Mike took a deep breath before shaking his head, "Call it."

"Time of death, 5:26 p.m."

Mercedes hissed slightly as she the machine started to go off. Getting a shot from behind her, she pop the top off quickly, turning the woman's arm over, "Come on." She whispered to herself as she tried to feel for a vein but was having a hard time trying to find one, "Dammit."

"I got it." Marley said as she came beside Mercedes, hardly plucking her finger down the woman's arm until she got a vein to stick out. Grabbing the shot from Mercedes, she stuck it in quick to make sure she wouldn't lose it.

Mercedes saw the light flashing out the side of her eye, letting them know that a paramedic truck had pulled up. She looked over at Dr. Spencer and sighed mentally because she knew that this was his first death but he couldn't let it stopped him from doing his job. Although it sounded harsh, they had a lot more people they needed to save at this moment, "Snap out of Devon. I need you to switch spots with me."

"Y-Yes ma'am." He said as he grabbed another pair of gloves, pulling himself together as he navigated his way through everyone to get to where he needed to be.

"Santana come with me." Mercedes pulled her mask down and stepped out the room, heading towards the door, she saw the paramedics come in once again but this time it cause her to stop for a moment.

"What do we have?" Santana asked, noticing how quiet Mercedes went, she stepped from behind her and looked up, her eyes going wide. Shit.

"Two brothers. The older one keeps losing consciousness and we can't figure out why and the younger one has is having trouble breathing. Injuries resulted by right side collision with another vehicle." He said as him and his partner rolled them to the empty room, their parents following closely behind them as they transferred them to the hospital bed, "'Ma'am, sir, I'm going to need you to step back."

"Those are my babies, I'm not leaving." Roxy cried out as she tried to get in with the nurses that was coming through.

"We have a fucking right to be in there." Saint said as he pushed passed the paramedic, only to be blocked by Santana.

"You need to leave now. Go in the waiting room and let us do our damn job."

Saint glared at her for a moment before looking behind her and at his boys, taking a deep breath as he stepped back and walked out the room, grabbing ahold of Roxy's hand.

Mercedes helped the nurse hook an IV into the oldest one. She saw his eyes fluttering open and closing back and she grabbed the oxygen mask to put over his face, "Sweetheart, I'm going to need you to stay with me."

"Alex." Timothy cried as he turned his head in the bed, weakly reaching out his hand for his brother as Santana put a mask over him as well.

Mercedes stared at him for a moment and scanned his injuries before it came to her. Taking her gloves and mask off, she threw them both in the trash, "He needs to go up for surgery."

"But West isn't back yet and the rest of the surgeons are still in surgery." One of the nurses said, just as the chief of staff, Marilyn came in.

"I didn't ask you that, did I? He need to go now so don't you or anyone else question me."

"She has a point Dr. Jones, you can't perform surgery because you're not a trauma surgeon." Marilyn said as she looked at Mercedes as if she was loosing her mind. Watching them roll him out, she went to Mercedes, "You're not qualified for this."

"We don't have time to wait for anyone and I'm for sure not going to take a chance to fucking do so. I'm not going to let a child die on me, not today, not ever." Mercedes stared at her for a moment before turning on her heels and walking away.

* * *

 **A/N. I'm definitely late on this update because I've been binge watching OITNB, lol. With my summer already started, I've been been doing some major catching up on my shows & getting some much needed rest. Anyways, I won't be giving you a long note. There's a lot of things a going on right now and it's a mess..but we're not done yet. Part two will be longer and more emotional y'all, so stay tuned. Please excuse any mistakes. Have a wonderful & safe weekend! **


	15. Gone In A Blink Of An Eye Pt 2

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Sam walked into the hospital in a panic, trying to find them. He had to take an alternate route, which caused him to make it to the hospital an hour later due to the traffic. He was heading to the nurses station to ask until he heard Sander calling for him. Seeing them over in waiting room, he walked over there, seeing his sisters was there too.

"I'm glad you're okay." Summer whispered once he came over and gave him a hug. She let go, watching as he went over to Roxy and Saint.

"What happened?"

"I honestly don't know. Everything just happened so fast." Roxy sniffled as she ran her hand through her hair, her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

Sam watched as Saint walked away from them and he hesitantly open his mouth to ask the question, "Are they okay?"

"Timothy is. We should be able to see him soon. He was having trouble breathing and they said he had bruised ribs, his face and arms are cut up from the glass shattering.." Roxy started as tears began to roll down her cheeks, "But Alex had to be taken in for surgery. That's all we know."

"And that's all we're going to know because they're not going to let us know anything."

"What's that suppose mean?"

Saint let out a bitter laugh as he looked at his brother, "It means that the life of our son is in your baby mama's hands. She's the one who's doing the surgery."

"Mercedes is a great doctor, she knows what she's doing."

"And you know that how?" Saint walked over to where he was and stood closely his face, "How do you know she's not going to hold that grudge when she's in there with my kid?"

Sam pushed him hard, causing Summer to pull him back, not wanting to make a scene in the hospital.

"What the hell Saint?" Sander stared at him in disbelief as he went over to him, "Do you have some personal vendetta against her or something? And do you really think she would ever do something horrible like that?"

Saint shrugged as he looked away from them, "You never know."

"Saint, please." Roxy said as she glanced at him disappointedly, shaking her head, she walked back inside of the room.

Shelby stood up from the chair, pulling her cardigan over her chest as she went in to follow her, "You really need to grow up."

"Whatever." Saint said as he pushed passed them and headed outside the hospital, taking a much needed smoke break.

Summer ran her hands over her face and let out a huff, grabbing her purse out the seat and turning to Sam and Sander, "I'm going to go get some coffee, do y'all want something back?"

"No thanks." They both said, watching her nod and walk down the hallway to the elevator so she could go the cafeteria.

Sander looked at his brother and patted his shoulder before taking a seat.

Sam inhaled deeply before taking a seat beside him. He was so over Saint and his bullshit. He couldn't believe he would think Mercedes would even consider doing something like that. It sickened him. He didn't know what his problem was with her but he was not going to let him disrespect her in any way.

After nearly four hours later, nurse Marley walked down the hall and towards the waiting room, looking down at the paper and back to the people, "Evans?"

"That's us." Shelby said as her and her siblings stood up, going up to the young nurse.

"Please tell us something." Roxy said as she looked at her with sad eyes, her hands shaking nervously as she watched her.

Marley nodded as she looked back down at the slip of paper, "Timothy is doing better. He didn't need surgery but he does have a sprain wrist and bruised ribs, which caused his breathing problems." Marley turned to the next page, "Alex's injuries were more significant. He went in with a collapsed left lung, a few broken ribs and right shoulder damage. It was difficult but his surgery, hence why it took so long, was successful. We are going to have to keep him in a couple more days for observation."

Saint swallowed the lump that was in his throat, "When can we see them?"

"Timothy is being placed in a room right now so as soon as he gets settled in, you can visit him. Alex, on the other hand, you can't. We want to keep an eye on him overnight but he will be placed in a room tomorrow." Marley looked up at the family and saw somewhat of relief come across their faces, "I just want you to know that both of your boys are in good hands and I also want you to know that Dr. Jones is the best and she really did save Alex's life tonight. He really could have been gone in a blink of an eye but she didn't let that happen."

Sam crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the woman curiously, "How come she wasn't the one to come out and tell us all this?"

"She had another emergency to go take care of." Marley answered just as she felt her pager buzz against her, "I have to go now but there will be a nurse coming down in a few to take you to Timothy."

"Thank you so much." Shelby told her, watching as she nodded and walked away, turning back to her family, "God is good. I'm going to go call mom and dad."

Saint leaned down and gave his wife a big hug, kissing her on her forehead, "They're okay."

Roxy closed her eyes in content, willing herself not to cry again. She was so happy that her boys were okay. She has been on an edge every since the accident, worried that something bad was going to happen. She couldn't imagine her life without them.

* * *

Mercedes leaned against the side of the railing as she sat and gazed at the bright, shining stars in the dark indigo sky. She had a long, draining and emotional day and she just needed a moment to herself so she came to one of her favorites escape spots at the hospital, the roof, which overlooked the heart of Atlanta.

Santana had been looking for Mercedes' every since she got done with the surgery. With no one knowing where she was, she knew of only one spot she could be. She took a seat beside her on the stomp, bumping her shoulder as she held out her hand, "I didn't know you still smoked."

"Just when I have days like this." Mercedes said as she took the cigarette and handed it to her, blowing the smoke out her mouth, "Bad habit, I know."

"We are hypocrites. We don't practice what we preach to the kids nor patients." Santana shook her head a bit, earning a small chuckle from out of Mercedes' but then all sudden it turn into crying. Santana put the cig out before turning to her, "What's wrong?"

"What I did was risky. There was a chance that he could've died because of me."

"You're right, it was risky but guess what? He's alive because of you." Santana said softy as she placed her hands on the sides of her face, making her look at her, "Your motherly instincts kicked in and you made the decision that you would make if that was your own child. Fuck what the COS has to say because she wouldn't know what to do if she was in your position. You're not a trauma surgeon but that doesn't mean you haven't done anything on that level and it's not like you didn't know what you was doing because you did, it just not your everyday position but you are qualified. Those bitches have no idea what they're talking about. You're a wonderful doctor and you made the right call tonight."

Mercedes couldn't stop her tears if she tried, putting her head down, she felt Santana pulled her to her, laying her head down on her shoulder, "I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered as she kissed the side of her head, rubbing her back gently, "Do you need me to drive you home?"

"No." She sniffled as she pulled back, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, "I'm just going to take a shower and sleep on the couch in my office tonight."

"You sure?"

Mercedes nodded as she stood up, Santana doing the same, she leaned over and gave her a hug, "Thank you."

"Anytime bestie, anytime." She smiled as she pinched her cheek, earning a laugh from her before she left.

Mercedes stayed there for a few more minutes before she went back inside. Walking down the hallway until she got to the room, peeking in, she saw Marley in there and she tapped on the glass.

Marley turned around, smiling once she saw Mercedes. She put her clipboard down and headed to the door, opening it quietly and stepping out.

"How is he?"

"He's doing better. His vitals are steady. I got the correct drip bag for the pain like you told me."

"Good, that's going to ease up his pain a lot and help him sleep comfortably." Mercedes looked at the boy again before lightly squeezing Marley's shoulder and giving her a smile, "Thank you. You've been a tremendous help to me today. I just want you to know that I'm truly appreciate you."

"Thank you Dr. Jones, you have no idea how much that means to me." She smiled, bidding the woman a goodnight as she walked away.

Mercedes bit down on her bottom lip once she made it back to her office. Locking the door behind her, she grabbed her overnight bag from the closet and went to the bathroom. Turning the shower on, she removed her scrubs and grabbed a small towel from the rack and got in. Taking her hair down from the hair tie, she stood under the shower head and let hot water run down on her. She placed her hands on the wall in front of her, letting out a long breath as she stood there. Its been a long, emotional day for reasons beyond anyone else's knowledge.

* * *

The next morning, Roxy sat beside her son's bed, holding his hand with a smile. She leaned forward and moved his hair from out of his face, "How are you feeling baby?"

"Sore." He said quietly as he turned to look at her with sad eyes, "I want to see Alex."

"Me too sweetie but he is still in recovery."

"Hey champ." Saint said as he stood up from his own chair, going over to him, "Your brother is okay."

"Are you thirsty?"

Timothy nodded as he looked away, wincing as he tried to sit up. He watched as his mom stood up with his cup of water, bending the straw for him to get some.

Santana yawned as she put her coffee cup down at the desk, grabbing her clipboard up. Reading down the list of patients she had for her morning shift, she moved around the desk so she could began doing her rounds. Getting to the first room, she took a calming breath before knocking on the door and entering, "Hello."

Roxy turned her head once she heard the voice, sending the woman a small smile, "Hi, you must be his nurse for the day?"

"Yes. I'm going to be his nurse until one." Santana said politely to the woman, ignoring Saint as she sent the little boy a smile. She grabbed a marker and wrote her name up on the board.

"I remember you from last night." Timothy said quietly once she turned back around, "You helped me stay calm and you never left my side."

Saint crossed his arms and looked at the woman closely. It's been awhile since he has seen her last but nothing has really change.

Santana could only smile as she walked over to him, checking his machine, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm still pretty tired and really, really sore."

"As soon as your breakfast come, I'm going to give you something to take for that." She said as she looked back at him, "Are you breathing better?"

Timothy nodded quickly in response, "Much better."

"Good." Santana said as she opened his chart up and began writing what she needed down, "We're going to monitor him throughout the day for his breathing and if it stays like it is today, he will be able to be released tomorrow evening." Once she was finish, she looked at his parents, "Any questions?"

"When is his doctor coming in?"

Santana bit the inside of her cheek before staring at Roxy, "Dr. Gibbs will be in a little later today."

"Why are you directing your answer to her when I asked you?"

"Saint." Roxy scolded him, shaking her head before turning back to Santana, "I'm sorry, we're just on the edge."

Santana gave her a stained smile before turning and walking away, making sure to glare at Saint before she did, "If you need anything, just push the button." She opened the door and walked out, rolling her eyes to herself as she went and sat his chart back on her desk.

"Are you sure you didn't have to be at work?" Sander asked Sam as they walked down the hallway with Summer in tow.

Sam nodded as he put his phone back in his pocket, "I'm sure. I called my bosses to let them know what happened and Gigi's going to do my segment for me."

"Is Gigi that stuck up model looking chick?" Summer asked curiously as she made her way to the side of him, raising a brow.

"Yes, she is. Strange enough, she loves to eat and she's not stuck up."

Sander leaned forward and gave his sister a look before they both spoke at the same time, "Figures."

"What?" Sam asked as he stopped and looked at them confusedly.

"You have developed a type over the years."

"No I haven't."

"Yes you have dude." Sander said as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders, "So when are you going to ask her out?"

Sam rolled his eyes at them as he started back to walking, "I'm not. Gigi and I are just coworkers and friends. I can guarantee she doesn't like me in that way and vice versa."

"If you say so." Summer said as she looked at him before facing forward.

"I say so." Sam shook his head, letting out a chuckle, he stopped once again in his tracks when he saw her, "Hey."

Santana took her eyes off her computer screen to look at him. She hasn't seen him since he has been back and nothing has change. She couldn't exactly turn how she felt about him off like Mercedes did, even knowing the truth, "Hey."

"How are you?"

"Good and you?"

"Good."

And that was that. Santana showed them what room Timothy was in and went back to doing her work. Sam wasn't as shock as he was by her behavior, he kind of expected it. He just hoped that they could get back on the terms of being friends.

* * *

Mercedes grabbed her clean white coat from the rack and put it on, looking down at her outfit. She wasn't going to be here long today so she opted with some blue jeans, a light blue Star Wars t-shirt with her white converses. Her curly hair was pulled up into a puff while her face was free from makeup. She walked out of her office and down the hall, thanking the nurse for the chart she had given her. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she looked at the text and rolled eyes. She had a meeting in the morning with her bosses to talk about what happen last night. She cleared her mind from that for a moment as she opened the door, giving the boy a smile, "You're up?"

Alex looked at her and nodded, watching as she came in and closed the door behind her.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm really sore." He said in hoarse like voice, closing his eyes as he winced in pain, "Can you give me something for that please?"

Mercedes sat her things down in the chair, grabbing ahold of the drip bag to read it. She pushed the button on his bed and ask for the nurse to bring the same medicine but a different dosage, "Did they bring you your breakfast?"

"Two things of yogurt."

Mercedes watched him frown and she couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah, it sucks but you can't eat anything solid right now." She took off her stethoscope and put the ear pieces in her ears, placing the small disk on his chest, listening, "Your breathing is better." She moved aside when the nurse came in the switch out his bags.

"Is my brother okay?" Alex asked as he opened his eyes back up and stared at her.

"Yes he is, he's actually a floor below you." Mercedes said as she put her stethoscope back around her neck, putting her hands in her pockets, "They're notifying your parents about you now and he's going to be able get in a wheelchair to come see you if he's up to it."

Alex nodded as he sighed, looking down at the IV in his hand, "I tried to protect him."

"You didn't try, sweetheart." Mercedes turned her head to get a good look at him, "You did and he's alive because of you."

"And I'm alive because of you." Alex stated back to her, giving her the best smile he could with the pain, "You saved my life, thank you."

"I was just doing my job." She said just as the door open, she turned and saw that it was his family. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before stepping back and leaving out the room. Putting the chart on the counter, she grabbed a pen and began to write in it.

"Doc, it's your daughter." One of the nurses said as she rolled down in the chair and handed her the telephone.

"Thanks." Mercedes moved the untangled the cord a bit before putting the phone to her ear, "You could've called me on my cellphone."

"I did but you didn't answer."

Mercedes pulled her from her pocket and looked at it, "It was still on silent, sorry. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just calling to check on you." Danielle said as sat on one of the benches outside of the building where her next class was going to be, "It was real hectic when we left."

"It was but I'm fine." She turned to the next page and sign her signature at the bottom.

"They showed the clippings on the news this morning, it was really, really bad."

Mercedes sighed as she looked down at the floor, tapping the pen against the counter in deep thought.

Danielle moved her hair back from out of her face as the wind blew, taking in the silence from her mom, she knew that she was thinking about something, "Mom, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine baby." Mercedes cleared her throat as she closed her eyes for a moment.

"Okay." She said softly as she looked at her watch, "My class is about to start in a few, I was just calling to check on you. I love you."

"I love you too. Talk to you later." Mercedes said as she leaned over and placed the phone back on the hook, turning around too quickly, causing her to bump into someone.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

Sam gave her a smile as he stuck his hands in his pockets, "I just came out here to say thank you."

Mercedes stared at him with confusion written across her face, "For what?"

Before he could answer, his siblings and Roxy were coming out the room, basically so they could give the brothers some alone time.

Roxy saw the woman next to Sam and walked over to her, "You're Mercedes, right?"

"I am." Mercedes looked at her and then Saint, putting two and two together, she shook her head, letting out a humorless laugh, causing everyone to look at her strangely, "Nothing's funny, trust me but before you say anything, I just want you to know that Marley told you everything last night and I'm telling you personally that I'm going to let Dr. Gibbs handle Alex as well. Word gets back to me fast around here." She started as she looked at them before her eyes going to just Roxy and Saint, "And when it goes to where it was in question that I wasn't going to do my job because of personal problems, it pissed me off. I'm not some evil person who would take anything out on a child, that's not my character. And to think that it was even said about me, it's really fucked up and not okay." Mercedes eyes drifted over to Roxy, directing this last part to her, "I know you had some kind of doubt, and of course you're going to be on your husband's side but I did my job last night. My mind was on saving a child, not some petty bullshit. I wish both of your boys a speedy recovery. Have a good day." With that being said, she stepped back and closed the chart, handing it to the nurse before walking away. She was not going to let anyone talk shit about her and get away with it, she was done with that.

* * *

 **A/N. Ending it just like that. Wow. All I have to say is that it is more to what Mercedes is feeling and it will be revealed in the next chapter & it has something to do with the past. Let me know what you think of this update overall!**


	16. Putting Things In Perspective

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Sam walked down the sidewalk, looking up at the names of the restaurants until he found the one he was looking for. Opening the door, he stepped in and was immediately greeted by the hostess. He told her that he was here to meet someone and that he could find her on his own. He went further in and scanned the place, finding her sitting at the bar, he took a deep breath and made his way over there.

Cassie wiped down the counter in front of her, throwing an empty bottle in the trash as she did. Looking up at her sister, she smiled as she stopped and stared at her for a minute, "I wish I could do what you're doing right now."

"Skipping work, enjoying a delicious bacon cheeseburger with fries and a root beer at eleven on the dot." Mercedes chuckled as she picked her burger up and bit into it, closing her eyes at the goodness, "Y'all seriously have the best burgers in Atlanta."

Cassie couldn't help but laugh at her, "I really can't with you." She put the towel in the sink and washed her hands, hearing someone come up, she glanced and saw that it was Sam, "Long time, no see."

Sam did a double take at the girl behind the bar and his mouth dropped in surprise at how much she has grown, "I know this is not little Cassie behind this bar."

"It is brother." She chuckled as she dried her hands off and put the paper towel in the trash, "It's good to see you."

"You too."

"Can I get you anything?"

"Water is fine." Sam said as he took a seat on the stool beside Mercedes and looked at her.

Mercedes turned in her seat to face him, placing a fry in her mouth as she squinted her eyes, "How did you find me?"

"I have my ways." He smirked before thanking Cassie, turning serious, "I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm not going to lie and say I'm fine because I'm not." She shrugged as she grabbed another fry and placed it in her mouth, "But what I have learned over the years is that some things, you just can't take to heart. You have to have tough skin and not let people words get to you, I failed at that today."

"You didn't fail, you just stood up for yourself. You are human. You have emotions." Sam said quietly as he looked at her, "Look at the career I was in. I literally had to listen to everyone's opinions about me. It was hard but I had to learn to ignore it."

Mercedes nodded as she looked down at her nails, "You know..I never told anyone this but I actually went to one of your games."

"You did?"

"I did." She looked back at him, chuckling at the shocked look on his face, "It was when y'all played in the Bay Area. I was up there for the weekend visiting my cousin. That was the game you set your record for the most strike outs in an away game. You looked so happy."

"Trust me, I wasn't. It didn't mean that much to me as it should've. It felt like I was missing something, and now I realize what that something was." He said lowly, shaking his head and clearing his throat, "Anyways, back to you. I wanted to let you know what I was trying to tell you earlier was thank you. Thank you for taking good care of Alex."

"He's a strong kid." Mercedes said as she let out a sigh, turning to face him once again, "I wasn't authorized to give him the surgery. In the medical field, we have what you call trauma surgeons and basically they do the emergency, have to do right away. My usual surgery that I do is prepped but all of our surgeons were busy so I took matters into my own hands. I couldn't let him die and what made me more determined to do it is because I knew what was wrong because I have seen it before." She shook her head as she let out deep breath, "When I was first starting out in California, they had me working in the emergency room. It had been an accident involving a teen and her seven year old sister. The older girl was fine but her sister wasn't. I remember the man in charge told us to do everything we could to keep her alive until the surgeon got there. Like fools we did but it was too late. She died ten minutes later and that was officially the worst night of my life. I vowed that I would never let anything like that happen again. No authority can undermine my qualifications at a time like that because any help is better than no help at all. I might not have a job tomorrow because I basically told one of my bosses to fuck off, but I don't regret. I would do it over and over again if it meant saving someone."

"Selfless. Amazing. Good-hearted." Sam said as he took a sip of his water, "Those are just three of many words to describe you. You're my hero, Mercedes Jones. For more reasons than you know."

A smile began to form on her lips, ducking her head, "Don't you have to be a work?"

"No, someone's covering for me. Wait, are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No." Mercedes smirked as she lifted her head back up, "I just wanted to see if you had time to just..I don't know, sit and have a burger with me."

Sam grinned widely as he leaned forward, deciding to tease her, "Are you asking me on a date?"

Mercedes laughed as she gave him a look, "We're two friends and you are already here so why not just have lunch with me."

"You're avoiding the question." He chuckled as he turned in the stool and picked up the menu, "But that's okay, I would love to have a burger with you."

Cassie came back around, picking up Mercedes' empty bottle and replacing it with a fresh one. She looked over at Sam and watched as he scanned over the menu, "Changed your mind?"

"Your sister did."

Cassie smirked as she looked at Mercedes, waggling her eyes brows before turning back to him, "What can I get you?"

"I'll just have what she's having, extra onions and pickles though."

Cassie nodded as she walked towards the back, "Give me ten minutes."

"I see you still do that thing with your ketchup. You're so weird." Sam chuckled when she pushed his shoulder. Every since he has know Mercedes, when she used ketchup with her food, instead of just squeezing one big pile on the plate, she made four little small ones.

"Me and your daughter are both weird then because she does it too."

"Adorable weirdos." Sam laughed as he played with his straw, a thought running through his brain, "Speaking of her, I actually was wondering if you were busy Saturday."

"This Saturday?"

"Yeah." He rubbed his hands together nervously, "I was thinking that the three of could have like a family day. I already ask Danielle and she said yes so it's your turn."

"Are you asking me on a date?" Mercedes faked shock, asking the question he did earlier as she reached for her root beer bottle.

Sam smirked at her, grabbing ahold of her bottle before she could get to it, taking of sip of bubbly soda, "Yes I am. A family date."

"Well then, I'll make sure I'm not busy Saturday."

Cassie stepped back behind the bar with Sam's food in her hand, seeing the two staring at each other, she shook her head not even surprised by it and put the plate down in front of him, "Excuse me lovebirds."

"What?" Mercedes asked confusedly as her eyes went to her sister, seeing that smug look on her face, she sent her a glare.

"Thanks Cassie." Sam said, ignoring the look on her face and going straight to his food. He gave Mercedes' another glance before biting into his burger and hiding his smile. He couldn't wait for Saturday. He had something special planned for them both and he hoped that they enjoyed it.

* * *

"It's going to hurt just a little." Santana said as she took the tape off, grabbing ahold of the top of the needle, she slid it out, causing the boy to grunt out. Taking an alcohol pad, she wiped around it before putting the band aid on, "There you go."

"Thank you." Timothy said as he lifted his hand up freely without being hooked to anything. He looked over at his brother, who was trying to fight his sleep.

Santana smiled and nodded as she dropped the needle off in the box, removing her gloves and tossing them in the trash. When she got finish washing her hands, she went over to Alex, feeling the top his forehead, her face twitched up in confusion, "You're burning up."

"Is something wrong?" Shelby asked Santana as she stood up, crossing her arms over her chest. This morning she had told Saint and Roxy that she would stay with the kids while they went home shower, eat and get some rest.

"I'm not sure yet." She said as she pushed the button the side of the bed, "Send Marley in here." She moved the blankets off of him carefully, just as the door opened quickly, "Hey Marley, did you know that he has a fever?"

"Yes and I asked Dr. Gibbs about it, he says it is normal and just let him sweat it out." She said as she moved closer to Santana, whispering, "But I called Dr. Jones, she said that he's probably reacting to the medicine so she told me to give him this."

Santana looked down at her hand and saw the Gatorade, "Ok good. Can you get me a cold towel, please?" She grabbed the bottle from her and opened it, unwrapping a straw from the table and sticking it in, "Alex, I'm going to need you to sit up and drink this for me."

Timothy looked on worriedly, "Is he going to be okay?"

"He's going to be fine sweetie, he's just really hot right now." Marley answered the boy as she grabbed a small towel from the cabinet and turned the water.

"What's going on?" Roxy asked as her and her husband came back in the room, sitting her purse down in the chair and went to the other side of the bed.

Before Marley or Santana could answer, Alex voice broke through shakily, "What's wrong is that I need Dr. Jones, that's what's wrong. You went and pissed her off."

"Watch your mouth." Saint said in disbelief that he was acting this way.

Alex closed his eyes when Marley placed the towel on his forehead, taking slow breaths, "You and mom have some problem with her and I don't know what it is but you need to get over it because I need her."

For one, Roxy couldn't believe that he was talking to them like this. Two, she did have doubt about Mercedes at first but that was because she didn't know the woman so what she said yesterday, it was true. She was siding with her husband because he was her husband. Don't get her wrong, she was very disappointed in Saint for what he did to Sam but he was her husband, she wasn't going to divorce him because of it, "Dr. Gibbs is a good doctor, Alex. Look at how well your brother is doing."

Alex opened his eyes and looked at her before looking at Santana, "I want Dr. Jones. I want the person who actually saved my life to continue to be here until I'm better. I don't want Dr. Gibbs for the simple fact that he wasn't the one who did my surgery. Yes, she may given him my chart and he is indeed a great doctor, I just don't want him."

Marley leaned against the railing, "Trust me Alex, we wish it was that easy for us to get her back to you but we can't."

"Why?"

Santana decided to step in because he deserved the truth on why Mercedes couldn't be his doctor anymore, "She took a risk yesterday when she treated you and because of that, she could get in trouble for it. Our bosses want her to stay clear from you right now and that was one of the reasons for her signing you over to another doctor."

Shelby crossed her arms over her chest as she listened on, "What type of risk?"

"That's all you need to know. It shouldn't even matter now because y'all got what you wanted. But I just want to make one thing clear, Dr. Jones is not only a wonderful person but she's an amazing doctor. She works hard to make sure that every single one of her patients are taken care of. No matter what walks of life they come from, she treats them like she treats her own daughter. With genuine love and care." Santana made sure looked at Saint the whole time as she spoke, her eyes going to Roxy as well before she walked out the room.

Marley stepped back and turned to air on low in the room, looking at Alex and Timothy, "If you two need anything, just let me know."

Shelby watched as the two filed out the room and she turned back to them, "I have to get a couple hours in at work but I'll be back here later with Elijah." She picked up her purse and went over to Timothy and Alex, kissing both of their cheeks, "Love you both. Saint walk me out please."

Saint sighed as he pushed off the wall and followed behind her, closing the door to the room, "What Shelby?"

"You need to fix this." She said angrily as she looked at him, "I don't know what your problem is with Mercedes but get over it. You don't get to be mad, not after what you did to our brother. You ruined his life." She put her finger on his chest and pushed him, "You're an ungrateful son of bitch for what you said yesterday. Mercedes saved Alex's life, be happy that you still have your child, many people can't say that."

Saint frowned as she pushed him again with her finger and walked away. He took his his hands and ran them over his face. All of a sudden he was the bad guy and everyone was mad at him for something he did twenty years ago. They needed to get over it and realize that he was just looking out for his brother. He wouldn't have the life he had now if it wasn't for what he did.

* * *

Tina picked up the bowl of popcorn and headed towards the living room to where her kids were watching a movie. Seeing them on the couch, she handed Kaiyo the bowl with a smile and headed out.

"So what exactly did they say?" Mike asked Mercedes as they sat at the dining room table.

"That even though they are not mad at me for making the decision I made, I still was out of line for talking to Marilyn the way I did. So I'm suspended for two whole days." Mercedes took a sip of her wine from the glass just as Tina came back in, "It's a bunch of bullshit but whatever. I know I made the right call and I don't regret it."

Tina frowned as she put some salad on her plate, "That's pretty messed up that Cedes."

"It is but it's whatever. I can use the break."

"That's not the point, Marilyn deserved what she got from you." Mike piped in as he grabbed a crouton from his plate and popped it in his mouth.

Tina swallowed her food, covering her mouth as she talked, "That woman needs to get laid."

Mercedes giggled at that, shaking her head up and down as she picked up her fork to dig into her salmon, "Enough talk about me and my drama, how are you guys?"

"We're good. Tina and I were just talking last night about how long it's been since we have all hung out and we were thinking about having a barbecue Sunday."

"That sounds nice."

"And you should make your famous potato salad, baked beans and invite Sam." Mike said quickly as he sent her a smile before stuffing the leafy greens in his mouth.

Mercedes playfully rolled her eyes at him, a grin appearing on her lips, "I'll ask him if he wants to come."

"Ooo, she'll ask." Tina teased as she bumped her husband's shoulder, leaning forward, "So I take it that you two are back on good terms?"

"Yes we are Tina. We have been rebuilding our friendship and it's going really well. You know, the only thing I have ever wanted was for him to have a solid relationship with our daughter and he does. He loves Dani and Dani loves him, what more can I ask for?"

"I'm really happy for them both Cedes, especially Danielle. She deserves happiness, all three of you do."

"Thank you Mikey." Mercedes leaned over and pinched his cheek, earning a laugh from him, "You guys both know my life hasn't always been easy nor have had the happiest times but I made sure I gave my baby the world. This period in my life right now, I can truly say I'm in a really, really happy place."

"In a friendly perspective, lets just say this is because Sam is back in your life." Tina said as she grabbed the bottle of wine and poured them both another glass.

"I'm not going to say it's not because it's true. Since he has been back, I've been through a world of emotions. I went from hating him, to knowing the truth, to forgiving him and myself, to being happy that we can be friends again. Sam is in his daughter's life. He loves her and that makes me overjoyed. So yes, you can say that me being in my happy place has to do with him, and I'm not ashamed to admit it." She took another sip of her wine and sent them a smile. She meant everything she just said. She wasn't going to deny the fact that Sam had an impact of her happiness because he did.

* * *

 **A/N. It's hiatus time! Sorry to leave you hanging again but I promise it's going to be worth the wait! Samcedes is definitely coming y'all, I promise & the drama is going to slow down, I know it's irritating & pissing people off but it's apart of my plot, sorry not sorry. A lot of you thought Mercedes knew Roxy but she's doesn't. A few of you think something happened that has Saint holding a grudge with Mercedes...well, it is something and it's going to come out when it's time! Now when this story comes back, we will be picking up on this family day Sam has planned and let's just say, it's going to be so freaking adorable, ugh! **


	17. Family Day

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Love Like This- Natasha Bedingfield**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

 _Sam looked at his watch again as he stood by the locker, running his hand back into his hair. He blew his breath into his hand and sniffed it to make sure he smelled alight. Seeing her coming, he straighten up and put a smile on his face._

 _Mercedes was busy reading the last chapter of her book to notice Sam. Running into him accidentally, she looked up when she felt his hands grip her arms, "Sorry."_

 _"It's okay." He smiled as he watched her straighten up and push her glasses back on her face. He took the card he had in his hand and handed it to her._

 _"What's this?"_

 _"Just open it."_

 _Mercedes closed her book and put in underneath her arm once she grabbed the card from him. Tearing the envelope open and pulling it out, she looked at the card and her eyebrow shot up, looking back at him before opening it fully, "Sam.."_

 _"I know you said you didn't want to date right now and I completely respect that but I just want you to know that I'm waiting for you. And this may be cheesy but I want you to be my Valentine."_

 _Mercedes tucked her hair behind her ear, seeing him pulling something out of his book bag, a smile began to tug at her lips once she saw the small bear that was holding a red heart._

 _Sam's cheeks were on fire as he handed it to her, his heart beating extremely fast for his own liking. He had no idea how she was going to react to this but by the look on her face, she seemed to like it._

 _Mercedes looked at him with a smile, "Thank you Sam..and yes, I would love to be your Valentine." She mustered up the courage to lean forward and press a kiss to his cheek but was interrupted by an upperclassmen..more specific, her older brother._

 _"Woah, woah." Charles said as him and his boys came up, grabbing Sam by his shirt collar and pulling him away, "What are you doing to my little sister, Evans?"_

 _Mercedes rolled her eyes at him, "He's not doing anything Char."_

 _"It sure doesn't look like it." Dru crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the boy, "Looks like he was trying to kiss you."_

 _"And we're definitely not going to be having that."_

 _Sam frowned as he tried to loosen up the grip that he had on him but failed miserably._

 _"Let him go, Charles..seriously. I was the one trying to kiss him." Mercedes admitted, catching her brother and his friends off guard, "Now can you let him go, please."_

 _Charles was taken aback by Mercedes' admission, causing him to look down at the boy before roughly letting him go._

 _Sam grunted as he let him go, fixing his shirt as he sent the older boy a glare._

 _"Let me make myself very clear, Sam Evans." Charles said as he got into the boy's face, "If you or any one of your little friends even think about picking on my little sister, I will make your life a living hell. If I see you try to kiss her, I'm going to cut your tongue out your throat. Am I clear?"_

 _Sam gulped slightly, nodding his head, "Crystal."_

 _Charles took his eyes and looked at Mercedes, who was giving him a look, he held his hands up, "I'm leaving."_

 _Mercedes couldn't help but smile as she shook her head at her brother. He was always looking out for her, especially since she has been in high school. She was going to miss him when he graduated next year, "I'll see you at home." She watched as he gave Sam one lasting look before walking away, "Sorry."_

 _"No, it's fine. Your brother is being a brother." Sam chuckled as he turned back to her, hearing the warning bell ring, "We should get to class. I'll talk to you later?"_

 _"Yeah." Mercedes smiled before turning to open her locker, sitting her things in there, she turned to the side and watch as he walked away. Grabbing the books she needed out and closing it back, "Sam?"_

 _"Yes?" He asked as he stopped and turned back around, watching as she came up to him, his eyes widen in shock when she placed a quick kiss on his lips before walking away. Although quick, it was the best and he wished it lasted longer because he didn't even have time to respond to it._

Danielle had just got done doing her hair when she heard the doorbell ring, "I'll get it." Grabbing her necklace from the table, she started to put it on as she left her room, walking down the stairs. She had decided to keep it simple since it was so hot out. She had a blue self-tie back sleeveless, totem print dress paired with her white vans. Her curly hair was fluffed out which complemented her natural makeup and pale pink matte lips. Once she got to the front door, she looked through the peep hole before opening the door, "Can I help you?"

"Yes. I have a delivery for Danielle and Mercedes Jones."

"I'm Danielle."

"Great, can you sign this for me?" The woman smiled as she handed over the clipboard, turning her head to signal the workers to come in.

"Sure." She read over the form before signing it, looking up, her mouth dropped slightly when she saw the four men coming with bouquets of flowers in their hands, she wordlessly moved out the way so they could put them in the living room.

Mercedes looked at herself in the mirror one last time before turning her light off. She had opted on keeping it real simple today. She had short sleeved white peplum shirt paired with navy shorts with white polka dots and her white Birkenstock sandals. Her normal curly hair was straightened and style with some beautiful curls, "Who is it baby?" She asked once she finally got down the stairs, going to enter the living room, a loud gasp left her mouth when she saw the living room, "Oh my god."

"That's exactly what I said." Danielle replied as she watched the man bring the last bouquet in, handing it to her with a smile, "Thank you guys."

"Thank you." Mercedes called after them, going to close the front door. She came back and entered the living room that was fully occupied by what she would guess twenty bouquets of pink and whitish pink peonies but one stood out the most. She gravitated towards the blue and purples peonies, seeing a card, she pulled it out and saw her name on it.

Danielle saw that she had a card as well and she picked it out, opening it up quickly. A smile began to take over her features once she read it out loud, "Danielle, here's nineteen bouquets of flowers for all your birthdays I've missed. I know it doesn't make up for anything but I just want you to know that I love you so very much and I'm so happy to be in your life. Love, Dad. Oh my god, this is so sweet mom." She felt herself getting emotional as she looked up, seeing her mom actually crying while she gazed at her card.

"Mercedes, words can't even begin to express how much you mean to me. I wanted to give you this special bouquet of flowers to let you know that you are appreciated. Thank you for raising our daughter despite the many obstacles. You are truly a strong, beautiful and remarkable woman. And I.." She broke off, trying to clear her throat and hold back her tears but she couldn't, "I love you still..beyond words. Love, Sam."

"Damn." Danielle whispered as she started fanning her eyes, willing herself not to burst out in tears, chuckling, "He couldn't wait until later on today to give this to us."

Mercedes laughed as tears ran down her face, shaking her head as she put the card back down. She walked over to her daughter and gave her a big hug, kissing the side of her head. She was crying for so many reasons. One being at how thoughtful Sam was for doing this. Two, he still loved her. This is the second time he has made it clear that he still loved her. The first being when they were arguing in her office the day he found out about Dani. She let go her daughter and took a calming breath, wiping her eyes, "I guess I need to go fix my makeup."

Danielle giggled as she watched her mom go down the hallway, picking her phone off the table, she switched it to camera mode and stepped back, taking a picture.A smile began to take over her features again as she posted it on her social media accounts. _When you have the best dad in the world!_ She smiled to herself before hearing her mom come back down and asking was she ready. Grabbing her purse and keys, she headed out door, truly excited for this family day.

* * *

Sam sat on the hood of his truck as his fingers moved quickly on his phone. He had been texting his nephew for the last twenty minutes, just checking up on him. He was happy to know that he was being released today. He had told him how he had wanted him to come see him when he had a chance. They had so much to talk about and he didn't want to do it over the phone. He was so distracted that he didn't notice a car pull beside him and two women getting out of it.

Danielle closed the door quietly, walking towards him, she saw the concentrated look on his face and she smiled. Going up to him, she leaned forward and gave him a big hug.

Sam jumped by the surprise contact, looking down at the girl, he laughed to himself as he hugged her back, "I didn't even hear you. Hey sweet pea."

"Hi daddy." Dani greeted back as she let go of him.

Mercedes put her phone on silent and slipped it in her pocket. Running her hand through her hair as she stood back and watched the two greet each other.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

Sam slid down off the hood, seeing Mercedes, he couldn't help the smile that took over his lips, "And you look absolutely gorgeous."

Mercedes smiled bashfully, feeling the heat spread instantly across her face, "Thank you."

Danielle hid her smirk as she watched her parents interact, seeing them hug made her want to squeal loudly, "Oh and thank you so much for the flowers dad. I love them."

"Yeah, they are very beautiful."

"I'm glad y'all like them." He told both of them as he slipped his phone in his pocket, "As you can see, I'm a kid at heart and I brought you two to one of my favorite spots."

Danielle looked at the building and nodded, beginning to walk between the two, "Mini-golf. Believe it or not, I've actually never played."

"Your mom was like that at first. This is actually where we had our first date."

"It was an _unofficial_ first date." Mercedes side eyed him, "I didn't even know you were going to be there. Santana set me up."

"I can really see Aunt Tana doing that." Dani snickered as she looked around, taken aback at how big the area was, "Woah, they have an arcade in here. How come I did not know about this place?"

Mercedes frowned a bit before eyeing the place, "Everything is different. We didn't have all this."

"This new generation has all the new things." Sam laughed as he looked over at Mercedes for a moment. She looked completely different from the other day. More peaceful and radiant.

Mercedes spoke to the girl at the booth where they were getting their clubs before turning to Sam, seeing him staring her made her shy, "What?"

"Nothing." He felt himself starting to blush and took his eyes off her, grabbing the things from the girl.

Danielle looked between them and smiled. They were like two teenagers who liked each other but was too afraid to say so. It was adorable. When they made it to the first hole, she turned to them, "So if this was your unofficial date, then what was your real date?"

Sam and Mercedes looked at each before a smile started to take over their features as they remembered their first date.

 _Mercedes grunted as she came out of her closet, looking down at the fifth dress she had tried on. She didn't know what to wear and it was definitely frustrating her._

 _Santana rolled her eyes as she watched her best friend from the bed, "Chica, you shouldn't be stressing yourself out over this. It's Evans for pete's sakes, he would still like you if you wore bellbottoms and a long ugly sweater."_

 _Mercedes sighed as she turned to look at her, grabbing her blue jean jacket and putting it on, "How do I look?"_

 _Santana looked at her friend and took in her plain navy blue dress paired with black and white converses while her curly hair was pulled back into a ponytail, "You look gorgeous as usual, Cedes." Hearing the doorbell ring, a smirk started to form on her face, "Now here goes the real fun."_

 _Mercedes rolled her eyes as she turned off the light, heading down the stairs, she internally groan when she heard the voices of her brother and father._

 _Sam nervously looked at Mercedes' father when he opened the door with an unimpressed look on his face, "U-Um, hi Mr. Jones."_

 _"Don't be rude David, invite the boy in." Sam heard a woman say, when she came in view smiling at him, he immediately knew that was Mercedes' mom, "Come on sweetheart."_

 _Sam gave her a nervous smile as he stepped into the house, seeing Charles standing behind his dad with a matching expression and a smirking Santana sitting on the sitting on one of the steps of the stairs._

 _"It's nice to finally meet you Sam." Diane told the young man as she placed her hands into the pockets of her house coat._

 _"You too, Mrs. Jones." He rubbed his hands along his blue jeans, feeling a shiver down his spine when he saw Mr. Jones move to get in his face._

 _"Let me make myself very clear. You will keep your hands and lips off of my daughter. Don't think I won't know if you tried something. I have eyes everywhere." He saw the boy visibly gulped, letting him know that he was getting to him, "Have her back in time for curfew, which is ten o'clock. If you're even a half of a second late, there will be hell to pay. Do I make myself clear?"_

 _"Y-Yes sir."_

 _"Daddy stop." Mercedes whined as she finally came fully down the stairs after hearing her father's threats._

 _Sam mouth went completely dry when he saw her. Even in something so laid back, she looked amazing. He went to her and shakily handed her the flowers he had in his hand, "You look beautiful."_

 _Mercedes smiled as she felt her cheeks heat up, taking the flowers from him, "Thank you."_

 _Charles rolled his eyes at the scene in front of him. He was definitely not happy for this date. For one, it was his fourteen year old little sister and he didn't want her to be seeing any boy, "Where exactly are you two going? And just how are you getting there? Matter of fact, how did you even get here Sam?"_

 _"I'm taking Mercedes to the carnival. My sister brought me and she taking us. If you want to meet her, I can tell her to come in."_

 _Diane saw her husband about to open his mouth so she stepped in, "No Sam, it's okay. I've met Shelby before, she's a sweet girl. You kids go ahead and have fun." She went over to Mercedes and kissed her forehead, grabbing the flowers from her, "I'll put these in some water."_

 _"Thanks mom." She smiled before looking over at Sam, "Ready?"_

 _"Yes." Sam said almost immediately as he walked to the front door, only to be stopped by the Jones men again._

 _"Don't forget what I said." David glared at the boy before walking away._

 _Charles crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at him, "Yeah Sammy boy, don't forget."_

 _Santana chuckled as she went to the kitchen with Mrs. Jones, plotting to see if she could get her to make something._

 _Mercedes sent him a smile as they walked out the house and down the steps, "Sorry about that."_

 _"It's fine." He reassured her with a smile once they made it to the car, opening the door for her to get in._

 _Shelby turned the radio down when she heard them, turning around, she sent Mercedes a big smile, "Hey Cedes."_

 _"Hi." Mercedes greeted the girl with a smile as she sat down, thanking Sam as she grabbed the seat belt to put on._

"Wait." Danielle interrupted them as she bursted out in laughter, her parents staring at her confusedly, "Did you really go through the whole night without any physical contact?"

Sam snorted, causing Mercedes to punch him in his shoulder, "You have to let us finish."

Danielle giggled as they walked to the next hole, "Okay."

 _Mercedes had to admit that she was having a great time. She honestly didn't expect to but she did. She was seeing Sam in a different light and she loved this side of him. He was so sweet and funny, nothing she imagined. They had ate everything from corn dogs to funnel cakes to cotton candy. They played tons of games and he even won her a stuffed dog from playing ring toss. Now, they were sitting on their last ride of the night before Sam had to get Mercedes home. The Ferris wheel._

 _Sam turned to look at her and smiled as the lights hit her face. She was beautiful. More than beautiful actually. Stunning. Gorgeous._ _He had a really great time tonight and he wondered if she did too, "Did you have fun?"_

 _Mercedes turned to face him, a smile stuck on her lips as she nodded, pulling the stuffed dog to her chest, "I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you so much for taking me here."_

 _"No problem, Mercedes. You don't know how happy I am that you agreed to go on this date with me. I really do like you." He admitted, his cheeks turning a bright cherry red as he stared into her brown eyes._

 _Mercedes didn't know why but she couldn't break her gaze from him. It was something about his soft green eyes that placed her in some kind of daze._

 _Sam's eyes drifted down to her lips and he gulped internally._ _He was going to die tonight by the hands over Mr. Jones but it was going to be worth it._ _He leaned forward and softly pressed his lips against hers. Fireworks._

 _Mercedes wasn't as shock as she thought she would be. As soon as his lips touched, hers automatically fell into sync. It was mind blowing and weird because this was her first real kiss._

 _"I'm sorry." Sam whispered when she pulled away, he didn't mean to jump the gun and he definitely didn't want her to feel like he was trying to take advantage of her, "I'm so.." His words were cut off when she pulled him to her again, his arms wrapping her._

 _Mercedes pulled him by his shirt back to her, crashing her lips on his for another kiss, breaking away almost a minute later because her lungs were begging for air._

 _Sam pressed his forehead against her, breathing heavily as he stared at her, "Wow."_

 _"Wow indeed." She cracked a smile as she pressed small kisses to his lips before stopping._

 _Sam took ahold of her hand, giving her a smile once she laid her head on his shoulder as the ride continued on. This was indeed the best first date ever._

Danielle was leaning against the pole as she stared a both of the with a goofy smile, "Aw, that was so sweet."

"It was. It really was the best date ever." Mercedes said with a shy smile as she went up to hit the ball, moving her hair behind her ear.

Sam watched her before looking at their daughter, "What made it even better is that your grandad never found out about that kiss because if he did, I'm pretty positive that I would've been dead."

Danielle giggled as she covered her mouth when a snort left it, "Oh god, I can't."

"You're so dramatic Sam, he wouldn't have killed you, maybe ruffed you up a bit but not kill you." Mercedes said once she hit the ball, smiling once it went in.

"Mercedes, you didn't see the look on your dad's face. He would've killed me if I did something to his baby girl, no questions asked. He scared the shit out of me, Charles too."

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

Danielle chuckled at the two, shaking her head as she began walking to the next hole, "Let's finish our course because I definitely want to hear more about this."

Sam looked at Mercedes and gestured for her to go first, "After you."

"You're not slick Sam Evans."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Sam tried to give her an innocent look but failed miserably, tucking his lips into his mouth.

Mercedes eyed him suspiciously before she started walking, casting him a look over her shoulder.

Sam lifted his hands up in the air, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth a followed behind her, observing her backside very appreciatively. It may be hot outside but he definitely felt himself getting a little more hot as stared at her. The woman was blessed in many ways than one.

* * *

After they finished up their course, they ended up going to the gift shop and buying some things. Then after that, they went to the arcade, where Dani single handedly beat her dad in six games of air hockey and now they are having lunch. Danielle sipped on her lemonade as she sat back in the chair and listened to one of the stories her parents were telling her. This had ended up being one of the best days ever. She had learned so much more about her dad and even her mom. The sweet stories they told of their childhood was refreshing. She got an idea on how in love they were before her dad's brother ruin everything. On to something more positive, she had ask the waitress if she could take their picture and she agreed but it sparked a question and a very important conversation that needed to be had, "Can I just ask one question?"

Sam grabbed the napkin and wipe his hands off, "Ask all the questions you want."

"It may sound crazy but what's the rule on me posting pictures..of us?"

Mercedes placed her fist underneath her chin, leaning forward on the table and glancing from her daughter to Sam. That was truly a good question and she honestly wanted to see what he was going to say about it.

"I have no problem with you posting pictures of us." Sam said honestly as he leaned back in his chair, "But I do know that once you do, it's mostly likely going to be a media frenzy about it. It will be a lot speculations about you, me and your mom, and I honestly don't want to put you all through that."

"We are big girls Sam, we can handle it." Mercedes tried to reassure him but the look on his face said otherwise. She knew exactly what he was feeling. She knew the stories and the unwanted attention that could happen from one innocent family picture.

"I know but I don't think I could. I without a doubt be in jail for hurting someone if they hurt you two in any way." He admitted truthfully and he meant it.

"Daddy, I understand where you're coming from, I really do. If I do post it, I know it will be someone who is following me that will screenshot and make a big deal out of it. But I can set all my social media accounts to private if you're worried about me being harassed online."

Mercedes raised an eyebrow at the teenager, "You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

Danielle nodded with a sigh as she played with the straw, "I have. I mean, I don't want you two think I'm purposely making such a big deal about a picture because I'm not trying to. I just want to be able to share photos of my family."

Sam pondered for a moment before pulling out his phone, sending a text to someone before looking back at her, "Okay."

"You sure?" Danielle asked with a big smile on her face, seeing him nod, she went over and hugged him.

"Congratulations Sam, you just officially made your first decision as a parent." Mercedes sent a smile his way before going back to her salad.

Danielle nodded in agreement as she sat back in her seat. She decided that she wasn't going to post until after they were finish with their day but they did discuss more about it. Hearing her phone ring, she looked at it on the table and back to her parents as she sat the cup down, getting up from the seat, "It's Mrs. Livingston. I'm sorry but I have to take this. It may be awhile."

Mercedes put her fork down and looked at Sam, "She helps new owners with their pets. If they have any questions, they call her and she walks them through."

"That's really nice. We have the sweetest kid, Cedes. She definitely get that from you because I can be an asshole at times."

Mercedes laughed along with him, shaking her head. They sat there for a moment in a comfortable silence before she spoke again, "There's actually something I want to run by you. Mike is having a barbecue at his house tomorrow and he wanted me to invite you."

"Are you sure he wants me to come?"

"Yes. He wants everyone to start fresh and become friends again. I think it would be good for all of us." Mercedes grabbed the hair tie from her wrist and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, "But you don't have to come if you're not comfortable."

"Are your parents going to be there?"

"No."

"Good, I don't think I can face them right now after everything." Sam mumbled as he looked away from her, taking a deep breath.

"It's not your fault." Mercedes reassured him as she patted his hand, standing up, she saw their waitress come back and she asked if she could put their food in containers and that they would be right back, "Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Sam asked confusedly as he stood up anyways, when she didn't say anything, she grabbed his hand and he had no choice but to follow her.

Mercedes had spotted a certain section when she had came in and she wanted to come for many reasons. Smiling at the greeter, who looked like he was star-stricken by Sam.

 _We go back so far,_

 _Swinging in your back yard,_

 _All the things that we used to do_

 _We were cool back in high school_

 _Ooh I really liked you, must have been your attitude_

Sam saw that Mercedes had brought him to the batting cages and he smiled. Seeing the greeter, he smiled at the boy as they entered, a frown taking place on his lips when she let go of his hand.

"Stress reliever." Mercedes said as she walked to the end and grabbed herself a bat, "I want you to teach me."

"How to hit?" Sam smirked a little as he walked over to her, watching as she set the machine that had the balls in it to slow.

 _That's why you keep on running_

 _In and out of my mind_

 _As the years they'll roll by,_

 _Baby, now I know why_

"Yes." She flashed him an adorable smile, "You taught me everything but the one thing you love."

"Okay." He said as he stood behind her, spotting something on the back of her neck, he moved her ponytail out the way and stared at her tattoo. _Fearless,_ "This is very fitting."

"Thank you."

Sam placed his hand on her shoulders and turned her body sideways, "When you're getting ready to hit the ball, you need to make sure you relax." He felt her shoulders drop, hearing her take a deep breath, he smiled as he dropped his hands, "Make sure your feet are about two inches apart."

Mercedes did what he said and loosely held the bat, "What do I do with this?"

Sam chuckled as he took his hands and gripped each side of her arms, holding still as he lifted them up, "Place your small little hands at the end, your right is going to be on top." He showed her, which caused for his hands to stay on top of hers, "Keep a tight grip on it always, you wouldn't want your bat leaving your hands and hitting someone." He watched as Mercedes giggled and nodded, doing exactly what he said to do, "When the ball comes, make sure you focus on the middle and block out any excessive noise."

 _I keep coming back to you_

 _You're the only one that knows me,_

 _Love it when you hold me, never find a love like this_

"Help me on the first one." She said quietly, not exactly wanting him to move from the position he was in.

"Alright." Sam said as he looked down, stepping on the start button that was on the ground. He moved a little closer to her, making sure his hands stayed on hers. Both of their heads turned to the side, seeing the ball coming, he took their conjoined arms and hands and swung.

 _Let me hear you say_

 _Now I'll never be lonely,_

 _Look at what you've shown me,_

 _Never find a love like this_

Danielle had walked back to the table, only to find her parents not there. She saw the waitress had packed up the food and she had told her where they were. Going down the steps, she leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched them, whispering, "They couldn't be any more obvious." She smiled as she tilted her head to side, looking at how her dad was helping her mom. She smirked as she turned on her heels and headed back out.

Mercedes smiled as Sam helped her a few more times before she decided that she wanted to do it on her own but that turn out being a fail. She snorted as she missed the ball, pressing the off button, "I'm just no good at sports, I've never been."

"You're right, you've always been a girly girl." Sam chuckled when she hit his shoulder but he grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a hug, "Thank you."

 _Well this life tried to keep us apart_

 _You keep calling me back to your heart_

 _Let me hear you say_

 _I'm so glad you found me_

 _Wrap your world around me_

 _Never find a love like this_

Mercedes was taken aback by the hug but she didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around his back, "For what?"

"Coming today but most importantly, agreeing to." He let her go, scanning her face, he moved her hair from out of her face. Although it wasn't his fault, he couldn't help but still feel guilty.

"I am not mad you, Sam. Get that through the your thick skull." Mercedes smiled as she tapped the side of his head, knowing exactly why he said it. She stared at him for a moment before patting his shoulder, "We should get back."

"Yes ma'am." Sam offered her his arm, watching her loop hers with his. He smiled as she put the bat back up before walking out. Seeing the boy come up and ask him to autograph his hat, he let go and signed it quickly, giving the teen a smile before leaving.

 _All the guys tried to take me,_

 _You're the one who saved me,_

 _I feel like I owe you my life._

 _And as strange as it may seem,_

 _I'll go if you take me_

 _I'm willing to sacrifice_

Danielle popped a fry in her mouth, leaning her head back when she heard their voices coming from the back, "About time. I thought you two got lost somewhere."

"Please Dani, I saw you come and stand at the door." Mercedes gave her daughter a knowing look before tying her bag into a knot.

"Oh." Dani snorted as she leaned back up, seeing them getting their things together, she stood up from the chair and grabbed her bag. Once Sam paid for their food, the family started to make their way out, "Dad, are you coming to Uncle Mike's house tomorrow for the barbecue?"

"I don't know yet. I have to work in the morning and.." He drifted off when he saw the sad look on her face, "I'll think about it."

Danielle nodded once they made it to their vehicles, she turned and gave Sam a big hug, "Thank you for everything today. I had so much fun and we definitely need to do this again soon."

"I'm glad you had fun." Sam said as he hugged her back tight, kissing her forehead as he let go, watching her grab her mom's bag for her and head to the car.

Mercedes walked up and wrapped her arms around him as well, hugging him, "Thank you."

"No problem." He whispered as he pulled back, staring into the eyes he got lost in countless of times today, "Just so you know...I really meant what I wrote on that card."

"I know." She chewed on her bottom lip as she looked back at him, seeing an all to familiar look on his face made her heart rate start to speed up a bit.

Sam bent down, his lips ghosting over hers teasingly. He pulled back and let her go, smirking as he stepped back, "I'll talk to you later."

Mercedes didn't trust herself to speak so she just nodded, cursing that man as she turned around and got into her car. Sam Evans was slowly going to be the death of her.

 _Cause this life tried to keep us apart,_

 _You keep calling me back to your heart_

 _Let me hear you say,_

 _Aren't you glad you found me,_

 _Wrap you all around me,_

 _Never find a love like this..._

* * *

 **A/N. I decided to give y'all this before I take the real hiatus. Let's start from the beginning. The flashback was so cute & so was Charles being the best big bro ever lol. Sam sending his girls those flowers was really sweet, especially the messages he had with them. The family date & the flashback of Samcedes first date was so adorable. Danielle is definitely here for a reunion of her parents. The question Dani had about the picture & Sam's response was a big thing. The conversation itself was important & that in particular is going to play out in the next update. And you guys will know who Sam texted & why. SAMCEDES! THEY NEED TO GET BACK TOGETHER ALREADY & STOP PLAYING GAMES! I'm just like y'all, I swear lol. I want them together but you know how these things go! **


	18. BBQ

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Sam opened the back door to his truck up, grabbing the container out. Once he closed the door, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, seeing it was Quinn again. He read the text that was on the screen and let out a relieved sigh. It was handled. Yesterday, he had sent a text to his friend slash lawyer to get ahead of things. He needed to make sure he got a head start on protecting his family..meaning, Danielle and Mercedes. Taking extra precautions, he made sure that he put restraining orders for them against any media. If a picture is taken of them without their knowing, it will end up being a lawsuit. Without their knowledge as well, he made sure he hired bodyguards for them both. They wouldn't notice them because he advised the men to keep a safe distance and stay out of sight. With that being said, Sam's assistant had called and said that calls have been pouring in for him to give an interview. Instead, he told him to decline all and that he was going to release a statement sometime this week.

Danielle glanced at herself for a second in the mirror in the hallway. She had on an orange midkini top and navy blue polka dot high waisted bikini bottom. She opened up her water and took a sip, looking out the window, her eyes brightened when she saw her dad walking up the driveway. She sat her water down and made her way to the door, smiling like a fool when she opened it, "You made it."

Sam gave her a lopsided grin once he came up to the house, giving her a side hug as he balanced the containers in his hand, kissing her forehead, "Hey sweetheart."

"Hi daddy, I'm so glad you came." She pulled back and smiled, grabbing the containers, "What did you make?"

"Homemade banana pudding."

"Yum, I love banana pudding." She chuckled as she stepped back in the house, gesturing from him to come in, "Everyone's out back. I'm going to put this up real quick." Dani turned and headed to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator, she placed the desserts in before closing it back and going to her dad. Smiling, she looped her arm with his and headed out to her Uncle Mike's backyard.

Sam took a calming breath as Dani led them to the back. He was beyond nervous about seeing them. In all honesty, he didn't know why he decided to come. Watching the door slide open, he felt his heart rate began to speed up once he saw some of the familiar faces. He listened to the music that slowly played in the background, the kids were in the large kidney shaped pool and the adults were lounging around in the sitting area.

Dani gave him a comforting squeeze as they walked down the steps, seeing Mike coming into their direction, she let go and gave him a kiss on his cheek before walking away.

Mike saw them come in out the corner of his eye and he stopped what he was doing. Looking at his wife, she gave him an encouraging smile, gesturing for him to go. Seeing Dani leave, he kind of wish the teen stayed to be some kind of ice breaker for them but he had to be a man and do this on his own. Now standing in front of his ex-friend that he hasn't seen in twenty years, he noticed that he had definitely matured a lot but still looked like the old Sam, "You know for years, I always wondered what I would say if I ever saw your face again. And now, after everything..I'm at a lost." Mercedes only told him what had happened between them a few weeks after that day and he was livid. He wanted to fly out to Arizona and beat the living shit out of Sam for abandoning his best friend and their unborn child. The only reason he didn't was because she begged him not to and made him promise that he wouldn't. She told him and Santana that she was better off without him and that there was no need for them to go and confront him. She gave the same speech to her family as well and reluctantly, they all agreed for her and the baby's sake. As the years progressed, they were all seeing how exactly it was the right decision but in the recent months, all the now misplaced hatred on Sam was starting to fade away once the truth was revealed. He scanned the man's face for a moment, noticing how nervous he was made him chuckle, "This is a fresh start Evans, and I'm more than happy to become friends with you again."

Sam watched as he held out for his hand for him to shake, giving him a smile he reached out his own and shook it. A breath he didn't know he was holding was released from his mouth, "Thank you Mike, you have no idea how much this means to me."

"I think I do." The man smiled as he pulled his old friend in for a hug, patting his back, "The food is almost ready but first, let me introduce you to my family."

Sam nodded as he followed behind him, coming up, he first met his wife, Tina and then his two kids, Kaiyo and Kane. Kane was star strucked because he was a huge baseball fan and Sam was undeniably his favorite player.

"Oh my word." Kane said as he shook the man's hand, blinking rapidly as he stared at him, "Sam Evans is in our backyard."

Tina snorted at her son reaction before slowly pulling his hand away from the death grip he had on Sam, "Sweetie, breathe."

"I'm like your biggest fan." He screeched, bouncing on his toes, his sister bursting out in laughter from behind him but nodding at his statement.

"It's true."

"It's certainly a pleasure to meet you, Kane." Sam said with a smile as he looked at the young boy, who looked like he was going to pass out.

"And to make him even cooler than you already thought he was, he's my dad." Danielle smiled as she came up to them, watching as both her cousins eyes went wide.

"Oh my god." They both said at the same time before looking between the two, noticing how much they did indeed look alike. Just at the same moment, the backdoor opened once again.

Kane was the first to notice and walked over to her, arms flailing wildly in disbelief, "Aunt Cedes, how can you not tell me that you know Sam Evans? How did you not tell us that he was Dani's dad? Oh my god, this is huge."

Mercedes couldn't help but laugh at her nephew in front of her, shaking her head as she wrapped one of her arms around the young boy's shoulder, her eyes met Sam's, "It slipped my mind."

Sam couldn't take his eyes off of her if he tried. She was beautiful. Sporting a navy blue one piece that had the word _Troublemaker_ written across the chest in orange writing and a white background, she had on a white pair of epoque flare shorts and a yoins printed kimono that had the same color scheme as her swim suit. Her face was free from makeup and her hair was pulled back into two French braids.

Mercedes only broke her gaze when she felt the little girl wiggling in her arms, kissing her cheek, she walked over to them with Kane by her side.

Dani smiled as she picked her little cousin out of her mom's arms and headed to the other side of the yard, Mike and his family following along to give them some privacy.

"So you decided to come huh?" Mercedes said as she went and wrapped her arms around him for a hug, biting her lip softly when she stepped back, the familiar smell of his cologne assaulting her nose.

"Yeah." He whispered as he gave her a tight squeeze before letting go, "I needed to be a man and face everyone."

"Well, I'm proud of you." She gave him a cheeky smile before looking around, finding her brother staring extremely hard at the both of them. She gave him a look before turning back to Sam, "How did it go with Mike?"

"Better than I expected." He let out a nervous chuckle as he placed his hands in his pockets, looking down at her, "Hopefully we can get a chance to really sit down and talk."

"That's good." Mercedes played with the ends of her braid as she looked behind him, rolling her eyes when she saw that her brother decided that he wanted to make an appearance.

"Sam Evans." Charles said as he held the beer bottle in his hand, watching as the man tensed up, he smirked, "It's been awhile."

"Charles." He greeted with a nod of his head towards the older male, moving slightly by Mercedes.

Charles crossed his arms over his chest as his eyes danced between the two, "For so long, I wanted to beat your ass Evans..no I'm lying, I wanted to make you suffer a slow, and painful death. A part of me still do just for the hell of it but I know it wouldn't be right because this whole mess was not your fault." He never broke eye contact as he stepped forward to get in face, Mercedes was giving him an _what the hell_ expression as she moved her body in between them slightly, "Relax sis, I just want him to know something." He glanced at her before his eyes met the darker green ones, "Treat my niece right. She has spent her whole childhood without her father because of your fucking brother. She needs you in her life, no matter how old she is."

"I know that and I'm going to be there for her, no matter what." Sam said with finality set in his tone, not backing down from the man.

Charles raised a brow at him before patting his shoulder, taking a sip of his beer before nodding and walking away from them.

Mercedes blew out of breath as she turned back to Sam, giving him an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that and I'm sorry that everyone is bombarding you with this mess today."

"It's okay, I expected it." He shifted on his feet as he gave her a small smile, "You look really beautiful by the way."

"Thank you." She replied sweetly, feeling her cheeks grow warm as she folded her arms across her chest, gesturing towards the house, "Mike is still grilling the main stuff but there are a few things done if you're hungry."

"Okay." Sam watched as she smiled and grabbed his hand, following behind her as they walked back up the steps that him and Dani came descended earlier. Once they got into the kitchen, he took a seat on the barstool at the counter.

Mercedes went to the refrigerator to grab him a soda, seeing a large and small container of banana pudding, she smiled as she grabbed the drink and closed it back, "I see you made my all time favorite dessert." She slid the root beer to him as she moved to the other side to get two plastic plates.

"I did and that small container has your name on it. Extra Nillas, just like you like it." He felt his cheek getting hotter at his admission, popping the top to the can.

Mercedes grinned, ducking her head as she placed a hotdog and a hamburger on their plates, "Aww, thank you Sam."

"You're welcome." He said softly as he looked back at her, watching as she came and took a seat beside him and handed him a plate, he thanked her and grabbed some condiments that were sitting in front of them.

Mercedes took a bite of her mustard and onions smothered hot dog, grabbing a napkin to wipe her mouth as she chewed, turning her chair towards Sam, "How are your nephews?"

"They're doing much better." Sam said after he swallowed the contents of his food, taking a sip of his drink, "Alex is still in the healing process but he is doing great."

"So glad to hear that." She said quietly as she played with the ends of her plate.

"He's been asking about you." Sam smiled as he looked at her, "Shelby told me he raised hell the next day about his doctor being change."

"It was the right thing to do, Sam and plus, my boss told me to stay clear of him even though I'm the one who did his surgery."

"Well, they're assholes. It's all about what the patient wants and feels comfortable with right?" Sam watched her nod and he sighed, going back to his burger, mumbling, "Assholes."

Mercedes giggled as she bumped her shoulder against his, moving one of her thick braids behind her, "You're so silly."

Sam smirked as he finished up the rest of his food. They both continued to have a lovely conversation in the kitchen before Mike came back in and sat the rest of the food on the counter.

* * *

A few hours later, Mercedes smiled as she kissed the Chang siblings cheeks before they both headed into the house for their baths and bed. She had spent a few minutes with them before they left to explain to them about Sam. When they were younger, she never told them fully why Dani didn't have a dad but they were older and maturer to understand now. Slipping out of her shorts and kimono, she made her way towards the pool and sat on the second to the last step. Today had turned out to be a great day. She was still sad that Santana and Brittany couldn't come because they were both sick. Santana had told her about the run in she had with Sam and she he to admit, she expected her to react how she did. Even with knowing the truth, she knew her best friend would still be stand offish with Sam. Hopefully the two could get together one day and talk. She looked through the kitchen window just to see Mike and Sam still talking and catching up. She blinked rapidly when she felt water hit her face, looking up, she saw her smirking daughter coming from under water and swimming towards her, "Really Dani?"

Danielle smiled as she stopped in front of her, sitting down on the bottom step, "Just thought you needed to cool off a bit."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she grabbed her daughter chin, tilting it up, she leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek before plucking her hard on her face.

"Ow." Dani frowned as she pinched her mom's thigh, chuckling as she plucked her again, "Okay, I'll stop."

Mercedes smirked as she sat back on the step, sinking further into the water, "Spring break is in next week, right?"

"Yeah..I actually wanted to talk to you about that." Dani started as she bit down on her bottom lip, looking away from her mom, "Lo and I want to go to Panama. Let me just say mom, I've grown up a lot. I'm very responsible, I know how to protect myself because duh, you taught me. I promise I will check in every hour, every ten minutes if you want me to. Please mom, I know it's my first time going away from home but I promise you can trust me and we will be safe."

Mercedes listened to her and she titled her head a little bit, she was just about to answer her until she heard the back door slide open, turning, she smiled once she saw Sam, "Came just in time."

Sam watched the two warily as he walked close to them, taking a seat on the edge, placing his feet into the water, "What's going on?"

"Our daughter wants to go to Panama City Beach for spring break with her friends and she was just asking me if it was okay but what do you think?"

"Me?" Sam asked in shocked as he looked between the two of them, "I-um..I don't think I should have a say in this."

"Why not?"

"Yeah, why not Sam?" Mercedes asked curiously as she turned to him, "You are her father and you do have a say in things?.

"I know but.." He started quietly as he looked away, sighing as he moved his feet in the cool water, "I don't want her to feel like I can just walk into her life and order her around."

"I can see where you're coming from but it's not like that at all, Sam." Mercedes said with sad eyes, "You're just as much as Dani's parent as I am."

Danielle looked between her parents and let a smile take over her lips. Honestly at this point, she didn't care if they said no. Just seeing how her dad reacted tugged her heart. He was so sweet. The fact that he put her feelings before his own made her so happy but sad at the same time still.

"So, let her know what you think and if she should go or not." Mercedes continued as she gave him an encouraging smile, "It's your call."

Sam ran his hand through his hair, taking a deep breath as he looked over to his daughter, "Is it just you and your friend?"

"No. It's going to be me, Lourdes, Lourdes' brother Lorenzo but we call him LJ, and two more of my girlfriends. Mom has met them all." Danielle said with a smile as she played with her fingers nervously, "You can meet them too."

Sam nodded as he scanned her face, "How are y'all going to get there? Who's paying for what? Who's driving? Where exactly are you going to stay? And how exactly old is Lourdes brother?"

"LJ's truck, we're splitting gas and food expenses while LJ is paying for our stay, which is a beach house. LJ is twenty-two." Danielle tried to read his face but couldn't tell what he thinking about, "Like I told mom, I will call every ten minutes if you want me too. I promise that I will stay safe and won't do anything that I'm not suppose to be doing."

Sam looked over to Mercedes and she just shrugged, turning her head away. Shit. She was letting him decide if she could go or not. Although she was technically an adult, the young girl still respected them enough to ask for permission. Sam sat there and thought for a moment before ultimately coming up with a decision, "A few things first. You make sure that you do check in with us at least three times a day. We both need to have everyone you're with phone numbers just in case we can't reach you. Do not drink any alcohol. I know it's going to be tempting but don't do it. And absolutely no drugs either. I know you're not that kind of girl but I just want you to be safe and because I want you to be safe, I need to personally meet Lorenzo. We need to have an one on one conversation. Other than that, you can go."

Danielle nodded as she listened to everything her dad was telling her, smiling brightly when she heard his last statement. She clapped her hands as she looked over to her mom before her eyes went back to her dad, "Thank you daddy. I promise I will do everything you said and you won't regret your decision." She said as she walked up the steps to get out the pool, grabbing her towel that was draped across the chair and wiping her arms and face before wrapping it around her body. She then came back and squatted down, hugging Sam's back and pressing a kiss to his cheek, "I love you."

Mercedes smiled at them as watched on, moving around in the water for a minute before she closed her eyes.

"I love you too." He said with a smile as he patted her hand, watching as she went into the house. He turned back around and looked at Mercedes, who was floating with her eyes closed, "Thank you."

Mercedes lifted her head up, the smile on her face still present as she swam towards him, "For what?"

"Being a great encourager. I'm new to this and you're making me feel as if I've been parenting for years."

"You're a natural." She said honestly as she propped her arms on the side of him, "I'm really proud of you."

"Thank you." He felt his cheeks getting warm and he silently cursed himself. He was blushing like a teenage boy but he couldn't help it.

"Come in." Mercedes said finally as she pushed off the wall, moving her arms underneath the water to keep her afloat.

Sam removed his wallet, phone and keys from his pocket and reached behind him to place it on the chair. He slid out of his white v-neck shirt and put it behind him as well as he slid down into the cold water, mumbling, "Jesus."

Mercedes chuckled as she waited for him to swim out to the deep in. She lifted herself up and slid into the purple donut shaped floatie.

Once Sam got adjusted to the cold water, he shivered lightly as he went to where she was, grabbing the abandoned pool noodle and leaning on it, "You know, I always wondered if I'd ever get a chance to see you again. I know when I came back from summer vacation, I was truly baffled on why I couldn't get in touch with you, your family or any of our friends. I went by your house and your sister answered the door and she was pissed. Basically she told me to stay the hell away for you and she slammed the door in my face, without giving me a reason. I was so hurt and confused. Somehow, I didn't question it anymore over the years. I still thought about you though, you never left my mind but I honesty thought you were over me and we were just a high school fling."

"We were more than that." She said quietly as she reached for his hand, giving him a small squeeze, "To tell you the truth, I wanted so bad to contact you again over the years but I had to force myself not to because it was made very clear that you didn't want the life I had but I regret it because we would've found out the truth a lot sooner."

"As hard as it is, let's just forget the past. Let's start over." He said with gentle smile once he saw she still had his hand. He intertwine their fingers and lifted their joined hands up slightly, "A fresh start."

Mercedes looked at him with a smirk, her heart beating rapidly in her chest, "What are you getting at Sam Evans?"

"Let's get married." He said without any hesitation, seeing her eyes get wide, he bursted out into laughter, "I'm kidding, at least right now I am. But seriously, do you have to work Friday night?"

"No, I'm free."

"It would be nice for us to get to re-know each other so would you like to go on a date with me?" He internally cursed himself when he realized he was sounding like a preteen again but he couldn't help it, he was nervous.

Mercedes watched his face change with different expressions, shaking her head with a smile. He was so damn cute when he was nervous, "Of course."

"Great." He smiled brightly as he stared at her for a moment, squeezing her hand lightly as he got lost in her eyes, whispering, "Great."

Mercedes took her free hand and rubbed the right side of his cheek, her eyes never leaving his, "Great." She repeated, giving him a slight chuckle as she leaned down, millimeters away from his face. Her eyes drifted down to his lips as she bit down on her bottom one. Her lips ghosted his, the same as he did hers yesterday and she pulled back with a smirk dancing on her lips before she moved away.

Sam waited with batted breath once he saw her leaned down, hearing her faint whisper, he groaned when she floated away, "That's not right, Jones."

"You did it to me yesterday." And with that being said, she made her way back to the steps, sliding out the floatie, she walked up the steps, looking behind her, she saw his eyes on her and smirked. Giving him a small wink, she picked her towel up, wrapped it around waist and headed into the house.

Sam stared at her as he leaned back, smiling. He was happy that she agreed to go on this date with him. He really did love Mercedes and he wanted to make things right. This was step towards the right direction and he was going to make sure he did things the correct way this time.

* * *

 **A/N. *steps on soapbox nervously* Hey guys. It's been awhile, huh? I've literally spent the past month taking a break from writing my own stories to catching up on other people's and relaxing. I'm back and while updates are going to be slower, it is getting done. Anyways, I would love to know what your thoughts on this chapter are! And do not worry, your favorite person (Saint) will be back & you will find out exactly what he has against both Sam and Mercedes! **


	19. Unexpected Blows

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY. :)**

* * *

Summer braided her hair back into one big braid as she looked into the mirror in the hallway. Sighing, she had no intentions of being at her parents house today for this surprise get together. She had a dark feeling in her chest that things were not going to end well.

Mary came behind her daughter and stared at her through the mirror, placing her hands on her shoulders, "I know what you're thinking but this needs to be done."

"This is going to turn bad mom, I can just feel it. Sam may act calm and collected but as soon as something stupid comes out of Saint's mouth, all hell is going to break loose." She said just as the doorbell rung, indicating that one of the brothers were here.

Dwight got up from the couch and headed to the door, opening it, he saw that it was his oldest, "Saint."

"Dad." He greeted as he gave him a quick hug before walking pass him and into the living room.

Shelby had just placed the last platter down on table just as she heard her brother's voice, rolling her eyes as she walked into the living room. The last time they were all under same roof, it didn't end well. After the truth came out and Sam left, her parents had repeatedly asked Saint why would he do something like that. No one got an answer that night because he left soon after.

"Let's go to the dining room." Mary said when she saw her eldest, looping her arm with her husband as he rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

Sander had to literally pulled Sam out of his truck and up the driveway, "Dammit Sam, will you just come on man. You're not light at all."

Sam tried to plant his feet to the ground but Sander's strong hold on him was causing him to fail. Sure, he was acting like a big kid right now but he didn't care, "I don't want to be here."

"Hell, I don't either but we all have to do things we don't want to do sometimes." He said as he gave his brother a look before opening the front door.

Sam rolled his eyes and let out of huff, following behind him in the house. The smell of the food was hitting his nose as they walked further in, seeing them starting to sit down at the table, he kept a put off expression on face as he spoke to everyone, taking a seat beside his dad.

Mary folded her hands underneath her chin and watched on curiously as they began placing items on their plates, the silence looming around the room was slowly irritating her, "I've called everyone here today because we need to have a much needed talk. It's been a rough couple of months and everything has been happening so fast. We're suppose to be a family and it kills me to know that all of us are not speaking to each other."

"What did you expect mom?" Sam asked as he folded his arms and leaned back in his chair, "Your son did something unforgivable and I meant when I said I was done with him."

Saint balled his fists up, speaking through clenched teeth, "Don't talk about me like I'm not here."

"I don't give a fuck if you're here or not."

"Watch your language Sam." Dwight said sternly, glaring at both of his sons.

"I apologize dad, I really do but y'all can't expect me to just sit here and act like everything is all hunky-dory when it's not." Sam said as he looked at each and everyone of them, his angry eyes landing on his brother, trying his best to calm down but was failing miserably, "Why did you do it? And don't give me the same bullshit reason because I know it's not the truth."

"It is the truth, Sam. Let's be honest here, I protected you just like a big brother should. You were so young and naive. You had a bright future ahead of you and that was going to get ruined because of some girl."

Sam jumped up from his seat, pointing his finger at him, "She's just not no fucking girl, you damn prick. She is the love of my life and you had no fucking right doing what you did."

Saint rolled her eyes as he put his fork down, "I admit, it was messed up but at the time I felt I was doing the right thing."

"You say I was better off but I wasn't. I was fucking miserable. My life would be a complete opposite than what it was if I would've known. You think I had this _oh so great life_ but I didn't. I became angry and a damn alcoholic."

"And you think that's my fault? Try again baby brother, your mistakes are your own."

"Alright, that's enough y'all." Sander started as he stood up and placed his hand on Sam's shoulder, only to jump back slightly when he shrugged it off harshly but he wrapped his arm around his neck anyways to keep him calm.

"Fuck you, Saint..seriously."

"The only real reason I could see you doing this is because you're jealous or mad because Mercedes chose to be Sam." Shelby spoke up, causing the whole room to get silent. She was sick of being quiet. Sick of her brother not owning up to what he did. She didn't think of it until now. Saint always seemed to have a crush on Mercedes since they've known her but she thought he was over it when he found a girlfriend during that time. She only knew because he admitted one night after a party while he was drunk.

"What the hell are you talking about, Shelby?" Mary asked her daughter, standing up as well, her eyes dancing between her sons.

"Oh shit." Summer whispered in horror as she sat back in her chair, looking over to Sam, she saw his usual light green eyes turn dark, his face was red as fire truck and that when she knew for sure, he was about to lose burst.

Saint eyes went wide at her assumption, frowning deeply, "You don't know what you're talking about Shelby, so shut up."

"I do. You admitted it the night we went to the party. I thought you had gotten over it but after really thinking about it, it make sense. You couldn't have Mercedes in that way, so you decided to take her from your brother."

And it all happened in a flash. Sam went over to Saint and punched him square in face, causing everyone to gasp loudly. Sander knew the right thing was to break the two brothers up but he didn't. Saint deserved everything coming to him.

Saint didn't have enough time to try to block Sam's punch, which caused him to fall out of his chair and onto the ground. Grunting lowly, he watched as Sam got on top of him but he pushed him back, causing him to bump into the table. He stood up and frowned when he felt his lips throbbing, he didn't have time to get himself together when he felt Sam punch him once again but he reacted quickly, hitting the brunette on the side of his face.

"Y'all need to stop." Mary cried as she covered her mouth, shaking her head at the scene before her.

Sam spit out the blood that came from his mouth and grabbed him by the lapels of his collar shirt, pushing him against the wall hard, causing some of the pictures to fall down.

"That's enough." Dwight said as him and Sander tried to separate the two, "Sam, let him go."

Dwight's words fell death on Sam's ears. He looked at his brother in rage as he hands left his shirt and went up to his throat. At this point, he wanted nothing more but to make him hurt like he hurt him but he couldn't. No matter how pissed off he was, his thoughts always led back to his nephews. With one last punch to his already bloody and most likely broken nose, he watched as he slid down the wall, "That's not nearly what you deserve." He moved away, wiping his mouth, looking around, he saw his mother and older sister in tears, he walked over and stood in Shelby's face, "And you're wrong for not telling me about it sooner."

"Sam.." She tried to grab his arm put he pulled away, storming out of the room and slamming the front door behind him.

Saint took a deep breath, wincing in pain as he leaned his head back against the wall, rubbing his neck with his hand. He closed his heavy eyes as he held his side, cursing underneath his breath. Everything was fucked up. He knew it. Everything Shelby said was true but what he said was as well.

* * *

Mercedes moved her hair behind her ear as she sat a couple of charts on the table, picking up another clipboard and walking down the hallway. She was working the ER for the day and it hasn't really been much going on. She couldn't help but let her mind drift back to the barbecue on Sunday. A smile formed on her lips when she thought about it. Sam was amazing. That is all she could say. The way he handled the situation with Dani, it was perfect. To make things even better, they had a date Friday night, which she was super giddy about.

Gigi placed her purse on her shoulder as she walked down the hallway, looking around for a nurse, she turned and spotted someone sitting on one of the bed, frowning as she walked over, "Sam?"

Sam sighed when he heard her voice, lifting his head and giving her a nod, "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" She asked curiosity as she stepped further into the room, eyes going wide when she saw his busted lip and bloody fist, "What the hell happened?"

"I got into a minor altercation."

"You don't say." Gigi said sarcastically as she sat at the foot of the bed, her eyes meeting his and shaking her head.

"Why are you here?"

"I have to get some papers sign for one of Rino's clients." She said as she moved his hair from out of his face, "Has a doctor been by yet?"

Before Sam could answer, the curtain was being pulled back, showcasing the one woman he was very happy to see at the moment, "Hey Cedes."

"Sam." Mercedes gasped quietly as she took in his state, pulling the curtain back. She was so wrapped up into looking at him, she didn't notice the other woman in the room until she stood up, "Oh, I'm sorry..you are?"

"Gigi." She smiled brightly, eyes twinkling as she held out her hand for the other woman to shake, "You're even more beautiful in person"

Mercedes blushed at the compliment from the woman, shaking her hand, "Um, thank you."

"Gigi is my coworker and friend." Sam said as he side eyed his friend, watching when her eyes light up as she continued to stare at Mercedes, "She is a major flirt, lesbian and has an on and off girlfriend..but they're together nevertheless."

"Don't be jelly, Sam." Gigi rolled her eyes at him for telling her business, turning back to Mercedes, "I can appreciate a beautiful woman without trying to get under her skirt. Even though I really, really would love to..I would never do you like that."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Sam asked in a grunt, sitting back further in the bed.

"Right, I do. I was looking for a nurse so I could get a few documents signed."

"Denise can help you with that." Mercedes gestured to the nurse, who was standing in the corner watching the trio in amusement.

"Yes ma'am I can."

"Great." Gigi said with a bright smile towards the nurse, looking back at Mercedes, "It was really nice meeting you Mercedes."

"You too." Mercedes smiled at the woman, letting out a chuckle once she saw his face. Grabbing some gloves to put on, she completely closed the curtain around the room and sat on the stool, "What happen Sam?"

Sam grimaced when she touched his hand, "Something that was long overdue."

Mercedes glanced him for a moment, seeing the look in his eyes, she knew exactly what he meant by that. Letting go for a moment, she rolled backwards in the chair and opened up the drawer, grabbing a few alcohol pads. She opened a them up and began to rub the blood off of his hand, a task that lasted a good two minutes, "Your middle finger is definitely dislocated. You're lucky it's not broken, only bruised."

Sam looked at her curiously, "How do you know all that without taking an x-ray?"

"I'm a doctor Sam. I see this stuff all the time and not to toot my own horn, but I'm just that good." Mercedes chuckled, causing him to do so as well. She took off her gloves and stood up to go wash her hands. When she was done, she grabbed the splint from the cabinet and came back, "This is going to hurt a little." She placed her hand on top of his, moving her fingers along his to pop it back in place. Hearing him groan, she sent him a sympathetic expression before placing the splint on, "You're going to have to wear this for three to six weeks."

"Great, just great." He mumbled as he looked down at his hand, letting out a sigh. He watched as she pressed the button for a nurse to bring a bag of ice.

Mercedes went to the sink and made a warm, soapy towel. Drying her hands off quickly, she placed on a fresh pair of gloves and went back to Sam, standing in front of him. She lifted his chin up so she could get a good look at his busted bottom lip. It wasn't as bad as she expected but it was still pretty bad. She began to wipe around the area gently, taking a moment to look into his green eyes, "The ice is going to reduce the swelling and once you had it on for about ten minutes, I'm going to put some cream on it. You're going to be fine."

"I know because I'm in good hands but this busted lip really messed up my plans." He whispered as he stared back at her, the softness of her hand moving around the tenderness of his lip was making it less painful.

"What plans?"

"Kissing you on our date."

Mercedes hand stopped and she let out a giggle, shaking her head before finishing up what she was doing. Seeing the nurse come in, she thanked him and grabbed the ice bag, placing it in Sam's hand, "Ten minutes."

"Yes ma'am." He smirked as he placed the cold, cloth covered ice pack on his mouth. In those ten minutes, he watched as she cleaned up everything that she used in the room. He watched her closely with a small smile, because that all he could muster right now. It was so refreshing to see her in her element.

Mercedes piled her hair on top of her head and tied it into a sloppy bun, turning back around to him, she smiled as she handed him two pain pills and a cup of water, "These are going to ease up your pain a bit."

"Thank you." He threw the pills back into his mouth, flushing them down with the water. He handed her the empty cup, watching as she threw it in the garbage and turned back to him. A slight smirk appeared as he scanned her beautiful face, "Is today's visit my first free one?"

Mercedes snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest, feeling the laughter began to bubble out of her. She remembered the conversation they had about him getting free visit when she became a doctor clear as day, "No sir, Mr. Evans. No special privileges." She laughed when she saw the pout on his lips, placing her hands on her hips as she moved forward, "But you can come to my office and I'll buy lunch, soup preferably."

"Do any of your other patients get an invitation to your office and soup?" He asked jokingly as he stood up from the bed, hovering over her a bit.

Mercedes bit down on her bottom lip and shook her head no, stepping back and looking away from his smoldering gaze, "Nope, just you." She pulled out her phone and unlocked it, going to the app she used frequently for work. She ordered two bowls of soup and panini sandwiches from a local bistro that delivered. She put her phone back in her pocket and grabbed the chart from the counter, "Come on."

Sam followed behind her out the room, only stopping when she did so at the desk. Watching her sign a couple of papers, he couldn't help but let his mind drift back to earlier. Saint. Fucking Saint. His name didn't fit him at all. He couldn't believe his own brother would do something like that. He knew Shelby was telling the truth about the man liking Mercedes because he saw that all too familiar look in his eyes. He always use to joke around when they were younger, telling Mercedes that she chose the wrong brother and flirted with her, but he thought nothing of it. He thought that it was Saint just joking around but he was wrong. He thankfully came out of his thoughts when he heard Mercedes speaking.

"I'm going to be on my break." Mercedes told the head nurse of the ER, with a nod, she turned back to Sam, spotting the frown on his face, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

Mercedes nodded as she looped her arm with his and headed to the elevators, which were already open, stepping in, she pushed the fourth floor and let out a sigh. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up and gave him a smile, "What?"

"You're beautiful, you know that right?" He watched as she turned away with a smile plastered on her face, "I'm serious."

"I know you are Sam." She chuckled as the elevator stopped, stepping out, she led them to her office and opened her door, rolling her eyes at the lingering looks that they were giving them, "Get back to work."

Sam turned around and raised a brow, watching them scatter and return to their abandoned tasks, "Damn, they're really scared of you."

Mercedes shrugged off her coat and hung it up, watching him close her door, "They know better."

"Boss lady, Doctor Mercedes Jones." Sam said smugly as he took a seat on her couch, "I like that."

Mercedes chuckled as she rolled her eyes, taking a seat beside him on the couch, "You're something else, Mr. Evans."

"I know."

Mercedes smiled as she moved some of his hair from out of his eyes, propping her arm up on the couch pillow. She scanned his face for a moment and couldn't help but notice the anger still there, "You want to talk about it?"

"Honestly, no." He said, already knowing what she was referring to. He let out a sigh and reached for her hand, giving her a lopsided smile, "I just want you to know that nothing is ever going to come between us again. I promise."

Mercedes intertwined their fingers together, smiling at how instantly she felt at home when doing so. Completeness. That's what she felt. Looking at him, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, whispering, "And I still love you too, just so you know."

Sam looked at her with a dopey smile, remembering what he said on the card with the flowers and at their family day, "I wish you wouldn't have said it at this moment because I can't kiss you how I want too."

"I promise when you're completely healed, we can redo this." Mercedes chuckled as she placed kiss on his cheek, standing up once she heard the knock of her door, "That's our food."

"I can pay."

"No, it's my treat."

Sam nodded reluctantly as he watched her with a smile, seeing her open the door and greet the boy. He couldn't help but roll his eyes when he started flirting with her but he couldn't blame the kid one bit. She was a catch but she was taken. Maybe not officially yet until Friday, but in the heart she was. He loved this woman and he wasn't going to waste another minute letting her know it.

* * *

 **A/N. Date night is coming up next! Samtana will finally have a heart to heart and you guys will not want to miss it! As for this update, what did you guys think? Do you really believe the reason Saint did all of this was because he was jealous, trying to protect his brother or both? Either way, it's still messed up and I don't think there's anything that could ever repair the relationship he just lost with his brother. I love Gigi by the way, lol. I know a few of you were skeptical about her but she's harmless. Do you think Sam needs to tell Mercedes about why Saint did it or not? Samcedes for the win at the end!**


	20. Date Night Surprises

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Danielle had just opened up the link her aunt had sent her. Looking closely, she saw the headliner and it was about her dad. She knew he was going to speak out about them but she didn't know exactly when. She was curious to know exactly what he said. She walked down the hallway and went into her mother's room, plopping down on her bed, she heard the shower going as she started to read.

 _Recently a photo that was taken has gotten a lot of attention. In the photo is myself, my beautiful daughter and her stunning mother. Now, technically, y'all are kind of late with the news. It's not some big scandal like everyone is trying make it out to be. This may be news to you but it's not to me. I have always had a family. I've never shared my personal life throughout my career for this reason alone. Unnecessary attention. I'm a private person, always have been, always will be. I kept my family out of the spotlight because our privacy is important and I wanted my daughter to grow up with a normal life. Everything is not meant to be shared. And it's definitely not because I'm embarrassed of them. So stop with the fake stories because it's all bullshit. With that being said, this is the final time I'm addressing this matter._

"Hey baby." Mercedes said as she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Hey mom." Dani said as she turned her phone face up to show the article to her, "Did you see dad's statement?"

"Yeah."

"I think it was good." Danielle said as she clicked off and locked her phone, laying back on the pillow and watching her mom.

"It was. He basically told them to fuck off and mind their business, which they should." She said as she grabbed a bra and a pair of panties, heading into her closet. She dried herself off and slipped into her undergarments before searching for something to wear.

"Where are you guys going tonight?" Danielle asked curiously as she looked up at the ceiling, crossing her legs in the bed.

"I don't know. He just said to dress comfortably." Mercedes called out as she put on her black jeans and a dark green asymmetric wrap t-shirt, sliding into her black slip on sandals as she looked into the mirror before walking out, "How about this?"

Danielle looked up and smiled when she saw her, "Beautiful." She got up from the bed and went to her jewelry box that was on her dresser, picking up her gold two triangle necklace and her chevron ring, "These will be cute with it too."

Mercedes walked over and grabbed the ring from her, turning around so she could put the necklace on.

Danielle smiled as she clasped the necklace, turning her mom around so she could straighten it a bit, "Are you nervous?"

"You know what, I kinda am." Mercedes let out a chuckle as she looked at her daughter, "It's like I'm spazzing out just like I did on our first date. I have butterflies in my stomach that won't go away."

"I'm so happy for both of you but especially you mom. Y'all deserve some happiness after the mess we've all been through." She crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the doorframe to watch her mom go back to the bathroom to do her hair. Hearing the doorbell ring, she headed out of the room and went down the stairs. Looking out the peephole before opening the door with a smile, "Hey daddy."

"Hey sweetie." Sam said with a smile as he hug her, pulling back, he notice the frown on her face, "What?"

"What happened to your lip and your hand?"

"Oh, that's nothing." Sam shook it off, not wanting to get into that situation tonight. He closed the door behind him and walked further into the house.

Danielle nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest, deciding not to push the older man for answers. Apparently something happened and if he wanted to tell her, he would. A smile began taking over her lips once again, "I'm so happy for you and mom. What do you have planned?"

Sam heard Mercedes coming down the stairs and quickly leaned over to whisper into Dani's ear. Watching as the girl's brown eyes lit up, he smiled as he stepped back, his own eyes going over to her mother, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She said with a smile as she gave him a hug, pulling back, she took in his fitted grey t-shirt and light washed jeans paired with his converses, "You don't look too bad yourself..quite comfy actually, which makes me wonder if I'm overdressed."

Sam smirked as he looked at her, seeing that familiar look on her face, "You're fine, I promise and I know you're trying to get me to tell where we are going out but I'm not."

"I wasn't." She lied, trying to play coy but she knew Sam saw right through her. Letting a giggle escape her mouth, she grabbed her purse from the table and turned to her daughter, "I'll see you later."

"Please, stay out. No curfew tonight, kids." Danielle said, trying her best to hold back her laughter when she saw the looks on their faces, "Do anything my pure self wouldn't do."

"Oh my god, Dani." Mercedes said in embarrassment as she turned away from her and headed out the door.

Sam snorted at their daughter, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red once he realized what she meant by that. He gave her another hug before heading out the door, "Keep your phone on." He watched as she nodded before telling them both to have a great date, closing the door back. Sam walked down the steps with a chuckle when he saw an embarrassed looking Mercedes. Opening the door for her, he sent her smile when she thanked him and got into the truck. Closing the door, he went over to his side and got in, putting his seatbelt on. He looked at her as he started up his truck, "Ready?"

"Most definitely." Mercedes said with a smile as he pulled out the driveway. She watched as he turned on the radio, putting it on a low volume, "Your statement came out good."

"You think?" Sam took his eyes off the road for a second to glance at her, when she nodded, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, "Hate that I had to lie but I didn't want anyone bashing you and Dani."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Sam. I understand." She reassured him as she gave his arm a gentle squeeze before leaning back on the seat, "By the way..I know you have two bodyguards tailing me."

Sam eyes bugged out as he turned his signal on to get onto the highway, stuttering, "H-How?"

"I'm very observant of my surroundings." She turned her head on the headrest, giving him a smirk, "Plus, I know you and you sir are very protective over the ones you love and care about."

"For my own sanity, please humor me Cedes." Sam said softly, the red tint still on both of his cheeks from her admission, "I don't want anyone to bother you."

Mercedes gave him a sweet smile before nodding, "Fine Sam." She watched that lopsided grin starting to take over his features and she shook her head, "I know if you have them for me, you definitely have one for Dani."

"Three actually." He corrected as he got over to the right lane to take the exit, "I don't want her to know about it though."

"Your secret is safe with me."

Sam smiled as he turned down another road, which seemed familiar to Mercedes but she couldn't place it, "Now, I'm going to need you to close your eyes and don't open them until I say so."

Mercedes side eyed him before shutting her eyes, curiosity getting the best of her but she did what he ask. The drive lasted for five more minutes until she felt the truck slowing down before coming to a complete stop. She heard him turn the engine off, unbuckle his seatbelt and open his door.

Sam wrapped around his truck and opened her door, helping her out of her seatbelt and the truck. He smiled as he pushed the door closed and grabbed ahold of her hand.

"Don't let me fall." She warned, keeping a tight grip on his good hand, staying close to him as possible.

"Never." He said as he slowly guided her up the steps, opening the door, he closed and locked it behind him. He then proceeded to stand behind her and cover her eyes with his large hands, "Just keep walking straight."

Mercedes was careful not to trip as she blindly continued to walk, listening to the directions Sam was giving her. She was really curious and excited to see what the blonde had planned for them. When they stopped, she felt him remove his hands and tell her to open her eyes. She adjusted to the lights and a smile instantly graced her features. An art studio..which was definitely in Sam's house. It wasn't overly big but was spacious. Painted a creme color, the room had many paintings hanging up from it, a clean up area, and lounging area in the back. In the middle was a two easels set up, holding up plain white canvas. In front of it was a large table that had different colors of paints, coloring pencils, crayons, brushes and paper.

"Let me just say, this was actually planned last minute." He had admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I was going to take you to a ceramics class but I messed up my hand."

"This is perfect Sam." She said as she walked around and took in some of the art on the wall, smiling when she noticed his signature at the bottom of them, "I'm so happy you never stopped with your art. You were always so talented."

"Thanks Cedes." He felt himself blush at the shorter woman's praises, walking towards the center of the room and taking a seat, his eyes following her, "You know, you weren't too bad yourself."

Mercedes chuckled as her hand left the picture, turning to face him, "I just doodled. You were the real artist."

"I beg to differ."

Mercedes couldn't contain the smile that took over her lips, heading to him as he stood up again, "What are we going to paint?"

"Anything." He said softly as he went to the back, opening up the drawer and pulling two ivory colored aprons out. He put his own and quickly tied the back up, going over to her, he stood closely in front, placing her over her head, his hands pulling her flesh against his chest so he could tie the back.

Mercedes thanked him when he was finish. Heading to the front, she grabbed herself a large can before making her way over to the sink to fill it up with water. When she was finish, she headed back and sat the can in her space. She watched Sam with a raised eyebrow, wondering exactly what he was going to do.

Sam thought about what he was going to do at the moment and then it hit him. Turning his easel in front of hers, so she couldn't see, he went over to the table and grabbed two sharpened pencils, coloring pencils and an eraser. He looked over at Mercedes curiously as she squeeze out of couple of colors on her palette, "What are you making?"

"I'm not going to tell you." She smirked teasingly as she closed the blue paint down before heading to her seat, sitting down, she watched as he replaced the canvas with a medium sized sketch book, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to finish up something I've been working on for awhile." He gave her a smile as he continued to flip through the pages, stopping on the one he was looking for.

Mercedes gave him another look before going to her canvas. She picked up her pencil and began to lightly sketch out her drawing.

For the next hour, the two worked in a comfortable silence. Midway through, Sam had excused himself to go check on something, making Mercedes promise not to look at his stuff. Returning, Sam stepped back and looked at his work, nodding, he glanced over at Mercedes and eased his way over, "Can I see now?"

Mercedes nodded with a smile as she stood up, watching him come over, "Dani loves elephants, she has since she was little. This was the only thing she wanted me to draw for her and I just got so use to doing it."

"And you said you just doodled. This is amazing." Sam said as he stared at the water colored face elephant, "Beyond amazing."

"My freshman roommate, Reece, saw a couple of drawings I did and she fell in love. She said one of her cousins own an art gallery in San Diego. We connected and she offered me a side job that I didn't have to leave school for." She smiled at the memory before wrapping her arm around his shoulders, "Now let me see yours."

Sam smiled down at her before grabbing her hand, he grabbed his sketchbook and handed it to her, "It's for you."

Mercedes took it and gasped, "Oh my god, Sam." She looked back at him before going back to the portrait. It was her. More specially, her smiling brightly in her outfit from the barbecue, "This is beautiful Sam. Geez, it looks so real."

"I've been working on it since Sunday night." He chuckled as he removed his apron, sitting it on the stool. He turned back and was surprised when her lips landed on his but it quickly went away. He placed a hand on her lower back, moving his mouth slowly against hers. The pain from his lip was still there but it was bearable.

Mercedes smiled against his lips before placing small pecks on them, leaning back and whispering, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said as he leaned down and kissed her again, laughing when he heard both of their stomachs growling, "Guess it's time to eat." He grabbed ahold of her hand again and led her out the room.

* * *

Sam sat his plate down in the sink as he gazed at Mercedes in the living room through the kitchen window, watching her swirl the last of the pasta and chicken onto her fork, "So..how did I do?"

Mercedes swallowed the last of her food and moaned, leaning her back to look at him, connecting her thumb and index together, forming an okay sign, causing the man to chuckle. Sam had decided to make something out of his norm tonight. Looking through a cookbook of homemade recipes his chef had given him before he left Arizona, he decided to make a delicious chicken Parmesan, which he had to in list the help of Summer because of his hand. The perfectly seasoned oven baked fried chicken breast was layered with homemade basil tomato sauce topped with fresh, hot and bubbly mozzarella. He laid the saucing topping on top of a bed of pasta, "Amazing." She said with a smile as she stood up, her bare feet walking across the cold hardwood as she made her way to the kitchen. She bumped her hip against his to move him out of the way, "I can do the dishes."

"No, you're a guest." He tried to reached for the towel but she quickly grabbed it, giving him a small glare.

"It the least I can do. Plus, your hand is still healing." She watched him hold his hands up in surrender, stepping back. She smiled in victory before she turned the hot water on and poured the soap in, humming quietly as she began to wash their plates.

Sam leaned against the doorframe and stared at her, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he watched how comfortable she was in his kitchen. He went to the wine cooler and grabbed the bottle of white wine that he had opened earlier and took it back to the living room.

Mercedes had finished doing the dishes quickly. Wiping down the counters, she brought the towel back to the sink and let out the dirty water. After she washed and dried her hands, she turned off the light and headed back to the living room. She saw the Sam had refilled their glasses and smiled, patting for her to come sit by him. Cuddling up to his side, she thanked him when he handed her the glass and let out a content sigh as she sipped from it.

Sam tuned to his DVR to see what movies he had taped. Seeing one he really enjoyed, he clicked and started it from the beginning. He caught the amused look Mercedes was giving him and he turned to her, "What?"

" _Home_? You like this movie?" Mercedes couldn't help the smile that was taking over her lips when she saw his cheeks began to turn red.

"I mean, yeah. It's really good and plus, it's even more awesome because my favorite female singer is the voice for Tip."

Mercedes giggled into her glass before taking another slow sip, leaning forward to place it on the table. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and laid her head on his chest as the opening credits began to roll.

"And she reminds me of you." Sam whispered as he stared at the screen, his finger twirling a couple of her coils that was in her puff, "From her curly brown hair, the shape of her eyes, and her amazing strength."

Mercedes beamed as she held him tighter, relaxing her body in his side. Tonight was going really well. She had a lot of fun and it was amazing seeing how easily they fell back into their old ways.

Sam pressed a kiss to her forehead before dropping his hand down her shoulder. It's been a really good..scratch that, it was a perfect night. He was beyond happy. Happier than he has been in years and it was all because he finally felt complete. Having her in his arms was the best feeling in the world, "Mercedes?"

"Hm." She answered as she took her eyes off the movie to look at him, feeling him run his hand up and down her arm.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Sam placed a kiss on her nose, smiling when she scrunched it up playfully, "I promise this time will be different. Nothing will ever get in the way of us again. You and Dani are my world and I will not let anything or anyone fuck with what we have. I love you and I want you in my life till the end. I think we've spent enough time apart so that's why I'm giving you this." He said softly as he shifted a little to pull out a box from his pocket, handing to her, "Inside is an engagement ring. Before you freak out, I don't expect you to wear it nor give me an answer right away. I'm fine if you just want to be my girlfriend, but I do want you to know that you're it for me baby. When you're ready, you can put it on, Dr. Jones. Because one day, I'm going to make you my wife and that's a promise."

During Sam's speech, Mercedes was in total shock. Listening to what he was saying was making her emotional as hell. Only Sam would ask her to be his girlfriend then propose in the same breath. She was overwhelmed but in a good way. She loved him so much and he everything he said was true. Looking down at the box, she didn't open it. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him for a few seconds before pulling away. Gazing into those beautiful green eyes, her mouth opened and close repeatedly before finally giving him an answer.

* * *

 **A/N. So happy for them both but what do you think Mercedes decided to do? Are you surprised by Sam doing that? I'm not, lol. Hope you guys enjoyed this update! Dani at the beginning had me rolling. What did you guys think of Sam's statement? Samtana will finally have a conversation next update. You will get more Sanelle soon! Quinn and Artie will be introduced properly too! Your favorite character, Saint, will be back as well! Don't worry, Sam is going to tell Cedes and Dani about all about what Saint did! More drama, flashbacks, fun and love coming up for ya! If you want to see Mercedes' painting, go to my tumblr (twrites1) & check it out!**


	21. Conversations

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Lorenzo Ramirez Jr-James Rodriguez**

* * *

 _"Dani, come on so I can do your hair." Mercedes called out for her daughter as she sat down on the couch, hearing her feet come down the stairs, she saw the wild hair of the five year old before she saw her. Chuckling when she smiled widely and came to sit in her lap. She sprayed her hair down with a mixture of water and coconut oil before she took the brush and began brushing out the tangles._

 _Danielle winced a little as she sat still on her mother's lap, watching a little of the movie that was on the screen, "Mommy?"_

 _"Yes baby?" Mercedes answered as she put the brush down and picked up her comb, starting the part the girl's hair in different sections._

 _"Are you going to get married?" The little girl asked innocently as she stared at all the pretty dresses that were in the woman's closet._

 _Mercedes stopped for a moment before she shook her head, continuing at her task, "I don't think so baby."_

 _"Mommy." She drawled out with a sigh, frowning but it turned into a bright smile when she thought of something, "You can marry my daddy when he comes back home."_

 _Mercedes immediately felt tears form in her eyes once the words left the little girl's mouth. How do you tell your daughter that was never going to happen?_

 _"I think you should get a big, poofy dress but not white, it could be purple, since that's your favorite color. You can wear a tiara and sparkly shoes. You're going to look so pretty mommy." The little girl spoke animatedly as her mother did her hair, not noticing the sadness that was sitting behind her._

Mercedes looked over the x-rays one last time before coming to a conclusion. Turning off the machine, she turned the lights back on and wrote in the charts. _Definitely broken_ she thought. She walked out of the room and handed the chart to the nurse.

"Dr. Jones?"

"Yes." Mercedes answered as she turned around, hearing the voice and seeing the familiar face, "Hi Alex."

The teen smiled as he walked up to her, "Do you have a minute to talk?"

"Sure." Mercedes said with a smile as she gestured towards the empty waiting room, "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better. I'm still taking it easy. I was allowed to go back to school but you know, I can't do any physical activities or anything."

"Yes, try to stay away from that until school's out for this summer." Mercedes gave him a gentle smile before looking around, "Are your parents here?"

"No, actually Uncle Sander brought me. I wanted to come by to say thank you again and to give you this." He picked the bag up that he placed on the floor, handing it to her, "Uncle Sam explained the history between you two and I ask him what kind of candy did you like. I brought you a bunch of snickers, almond joys and green jolly ranchers."

"Aww, that is so sweet." Mercedes said as she gave him a smile as she leaned over and hugged him, "Thank you Alex, this really means a lot to me."

"It's nothing, really." He pulled back and pushed his glasses back up on his face, smiling, "I'm really thankful."

Mercedes saw Sander coming, shaking her head at the man once he stopped in his tracks to talk to a nurse, "He's hopeless."

Alex turned around to see who and what she was talking about, chuckling as he nodding, "Definitely." He looked at her again as he stood up, "We should get going. My mom is going to flip if I'm not back before dinner."

"Yes, you should. Thank you so much for this again. I really appreciate it."

Alex smiled as he nodded, placing his hands in his pockets, "Maybe we could get together soon at Uncle Sam's house. I would like to meet Danielle, if that's okay with you and her."

Mercedes smiled as she nodded, "I think we can make that happen." She laughed when he came and hugged her again, smiling, she waved at him and Sander before the two walked out. She turned on her heels and grabbed a snicker from the bag, opening it up, she took a bite as she headed towards the elevator. He didn't know but he just made her day one hundred percent better.

* * *

Sam drummed fingers against the counter as he sat on the stool in his kitchen. Today was a busy day for him. He was meeting this LJ guy who was taking Dani and her friends to Florida. After that, he had invited Santana over to talk. He had a lot of things he wanted to say to both of them. Hearing the doorbell ring, he got up and headed to the front door, pulling the hat down on his head as he peeped out the hole to see who it was first. Opening the door, he looked at the boy in front of him, who had a nervous smile on his face.

"M-Mr. Evans, right? No, I know who you are..I'm just.." He rambled out, seeing the blank expression on the man's face.

"Come in." Sam said as he moved aside, smirking to himself. He was nervous. _Good_ he thought as he closed the door and headed into the living room, gesturing for him to take a seat.

Lorenzo sat down and looked at the man cautiously, "So.."

"The only thing I know about you is your name and age. Change that." Sam said as he leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes sir." He replied quietly, swallowing a huge lump in his throat as he stared at him, "My name is Lorenzo Ramirez Jr. I'm twenty-two and I'm graduating this year. I'm a computer engineering major. Honor roll student, sir. I play soccer. I already have a job line up for when I get out of school. I have one sister, Lourdes. I come from a good family and I'm a good man, I swear I am. I've known the Ms. Jones and Dani for since they've moved here. I have the upmost respect for them both."

"That's good to know." Sam said sincerely as he sat up, folding his hands in front of him, "Thank you for your background but I still don't trust you. Why should I let my nineteen year old daughter go out of town with not only her friends but you?"

"Sir." He started tugging at the collar of his shirt nervously, "I understand that you're uncomfortable with me being older and a guy around a bunch of girls but I promise you, I'm not like that. I see my sister's friends as my little sisters as well. I will never let anything happen to them and you can trust me, I swear."

"My priority is my daughter and let me make something very clear to you right now." Sam glared at him for a moment, "She better come back the same way she leaves. If anything happens to my daughter, I will kill you with no hesitation."

Lorenzo nodded almost immediately, rubbing his sweaty palms down his jeans, "Y-Yes sir."

Sam stood up from the couch, causing the young man to do so as well. He seemed like a good kid and Mercedes vouched for him but he had to see for himself. He felt at ease though because he knew he had the bodyguards for Dani anyways. He looked at him again before holding out his hand, still not giving him a smile, "Don't forget what I said."

Lorenzo nodded as he shook his hand quickly. He had never been scared of anyone in his whole entire life, besides his parents and Dani's mom, but her dad took the cake, "I won't."

"Good." Sam said as he let go of his hand, walking towards the front door and opening it, just to see Santana walking up the steps, "Hey."

Santana looked up and gave him a small smile, "Hi." She saw a shaken up LJ coming out of his house and she couldn't help but smirk, "Hey LJ, estás bien?

"Hola señora Lopez. Estoy bien..creo. Tenga un buen día." He rushed out as he passed her, heading down the steps to his truck.

Sam raised a brow while Santana laughed at the boy, "You scared him."

"I had to." Sam smiled as he walked back into the house, closing the door again once she came in, "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine." She said as she sat her purse down on the couch, sitting down, she crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knee.

"Thank your for coming. I really been wanting to talk to you for awhile." Sam said honestly as he looked at her, "I wanted to give you my side of the story."

"There's no need." Santana interrupted him, sighing as she casted her eyes to the floor, "I know the truth and there is no reason for you to keep repeating it over and over again. I believe you. I guess the reason I've been so cold is because even knowing the truth, I wasn't so trusting with excepting you back in my life. My girl has been to hell and back for the past twenty years. I was there. I saw her ups and downs, and it killed me." She looked at him again, "I guess what I'm saying is I don't want to see her hurt anymore and yes, I'm scared for her because every since you've been back, she has been nothing but happy."

"I'm not going hurt her Santana, I swear I'm not."

"I know." She said again, placing a smile on her face as she crossed her arms, "You're a good guy Sam, I always felt in my gut that it had to be more to the story. You don't how many times I've tempted to call you over the years but I didn't for two reason. Mercedes didn't want me to and I'm pretty sure I would've kicked your ass if I saw you again."

"I'm still surprised you never tracked me down to do so." He laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to lighten up the mood.

Santana smirked as she looked at her nails, "Actually, I've never physically hurt you but I did do a couple things."

Sam raised a curious brow when he heard what she said. Seeing that familiar devilish look on her face, he sat up, "What did you do?"

"I'm the reason you no longer went to your favorite Thai restaurant after getting food poisoning twice. The damage to your trucks on several occasions. I anonymously payed a naive rookie player a thousand dollars to step on your ankle one game. I was the one who got into the locker room undetected and cut up both of your uniforms." She saw the look on his face, "Yeah, don't underestimate Snix. I have my ways and when you hurt the people I love, I don't hesitate to hurt you in some way. I actually feel really bad now but at that moment, I was satisfied."

"Damn." That was all Sam could say. He remember every single one of those moments like it was yesterday. She was right when she said she had her ways because he had no idea that it was her who did all those things, nor could anyone find out who it was. Sam came out of his thoughts when he heard her apologize and he gave her a small smile, "Don't be. I understand why you did it."

Santana nodded as she picked at the end of her shirt, frowning, "Your brother is the biggest asshole I have ever met, seriously. I literally want to smash his face in and make him pay for what he did."

"I couldn't agree with you more." Sam sighed as he shook his head. He was over Saint completely. He wasn't a brother to him, matter of fact, he was dead to him. He stared at his former friend for a moment before speaking, "Are we okay?"

"Yeah, we're okay."

"Am I pushing it if I ask for a hug?" Sam teased lightly, seeing the frown on her face, he chuckled as he stood up anyways and attacked her with a big hug.

"Gross Trouty." Santana rolled her eyes but she hugged him back, hiding the smile that was on her lips. She was happy that they cleared the air and they could be friends again. She really did miss him.

* * *

Mercedes held the bowl in her hands as she walked to her living room, seeing Sam on his phone, she smiled as she made her way in and sat beside him on the couch. Sticking her spoon inside her bowl of chocolate ice cream, scooping up some and placing it in her mouth. She turned to Sam, placing a bit more on her spoon and putting it to his mouth, "Let me just see if your sweet tastebuds are gone for real."

"They are, Mercedes." Sam chuckled as he moved his face from the spoon, locking his phone and putting it on the table.

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she put the spoon in her mouth, moaning dramatically which caused him to laugh, "Alex came by to see me yesterday and he brought a candy bag."

"I know. He called me the other day and asked what your favorites were."

"So sweet of him and so sweet of you to help." Mercedes said as she turned to the side and gave him quick peck on the lips, "How did things go with LJ and San?"

"I don't like the boy and things went great with Santana. We made amends, which I'm very happy about. I even got a hug out of it." Sam snickered at that as he stole the cherry from Mercedes' bowl, popping it in his mouth.

Mercedes glared at him for a moment, "Im really happy for you two. Why don't you like LJ though? He's a good kid, very respectful if you haven't notice."

"He's still a boy."

Mercedes laughed as she pushed his shoulder a bit, snorting, "Papa bear coming out in full force I see."

"Damn skippy. She's may be nineteen but she still my little girl." Sam shrugged as he gave her a lopsided grin, grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss against it, "Did I mention that I really love this ring on your finger?"

Mercedes smiled at him before her eyes drifted down to the heart shaped diamond ring on her third finger of her left hand. Yes. She had said yes when Sam asked her to marry him the other night. She loved him and he was right, they've spent so much time apart, "I love it being there. It's very beautiful too."

"Only the best for my girl." He smiled as she wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her forehead, letting it linger awhile before moving, "I hate to bring this up right now but I want everything to be out on the table and done with. You could probably guess when I came into the emergency room the way I did was because Saint and I got into a fight. Well, the real reason why he sent that text was because he was jealous of our relationship. He had a crush on you and by doing what he did, I guess he was making sure since he couldn't have you, neither could I."

Mercedes stared at him for a moment to see if he was joking, placing her bowl in front of her on the table. She had no idea that Saint had a crush on her. One, he always joked around but she thought he was just playing and giving his younger brother a hard time just like big brothers do. She was beyond pissed. He had no right, none whatsoever to do what he did.

Sam looked at her carefully and noticed a lot of emotions running across her face. He knew she was mad and she had right to be, "Come here." He pulled her by her arm so that she could sit diagonally on his lap. He placed a soft kiss on her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "At the end of the day, the truth is out and his plan didn't work. I have you and Dani, and that's all that matters."

Mercedes sighed before she turned to look at him, smiling as she pulled his hat down over his eyes, "You're right."

Sam smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her, hearing their daughter coming down the stairs, he pulled back reluctantly, "When are you going to tell her?"

"When she comes back from Florida." Mercedes said as she pulled the ring off and placed it in the pocket of her pajama bottoms. She smirked as she gazed at him, putting him some type of trance before she whispered, "I want to enjoy this moment with you for a minute before we tell anyone."

"I have no objections to that." He said distractedly as he looked into her eyes before his own drifted down to her lips, "No objections at all."

Mercedes smiled as she kissed him on his cheek before getting off his lap, picking up her bowl and headed towards the kitchen.

Danielle moved both of her suitcases to the foyer, sighing as she walked to the living room with her hands on her hips, "I finally finished packing."

"I'm pretty sure you have more than what you actually need." Mercedes said with a chuckle as she looked at her daughter, smiling.

Danielle snorted as she wrapped her arms around her mom, laying her head down on top of her head, "Are you sure you're going to be okay while I'm gone?"

"Yes baby. I'm going to be very occupied." She said as she gave Sam a knowing look before looking back their daughter, "You know, with work and stuff."

"And I'm going to pop in and check on her to make sure she's alright, duh. What am I, chopped liver?" Sam asked teasingly as he stood up and made his way to them.

 _You're going to do more than just check on her I bet_ Dani thought before smiling, letting go of her mom to give her dad a hug, "No, you're not chopped liver. It's just this will be the longest I've been without mom and I just want to make sure she's going to be alright."

"She will be and don't you worry about her. You go have fun and enjoy yourself, I can handle things here." Sam reassured her as he rubbed her back, letting go with a smile.

Danielle looked between the two of them. They were super giddy for some reason and she had no idea why. She knew when her mom came home from their date the other night, it was super late but she was happy. She knew they were taking things slow so maybe they were just happy to be back in each other lives? She didn't know and honestly, she loved seeing them like this, "Alright, I'm going to head to bed because we're leaving at five to get head of traffic. I love you mom and dad." She gave them both a hug and a kiss before turning on her heels and heading back up the stairs.

"We love you too." Mercedes replied before she looked at Sam and smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist as she laid her head on his chest.

"Come stay with me for the week. I only live fifteen minutes away from your job." Sam said as he swayed them from side to side, twirling his finger in one of her curls, "Plus, me and Dasher get lonely. It would be nice to have some company."

Mercedes giggled as she lifted her head up to stare at him, placing a soft kiss on his lips, "Okay."

"Great, I promise you won't regret it." He whispered with a smirk, running his hands across her lower back. Yep, he was going to make sure, she didn't regret this at all.

* * *

 **A/N. Let the fun begin! Quick review today. That flashback though, tears man. That was so sweet of Alex to bring Mercedes that candy and thank her again. Sam being your typical overprotective dad with LJ, lmao. And yes I did use the soccer player for his FC! (The boy is fine lol) Samtana making amends was by far my favorite thing, and yes, I told you that Santana didn't physically do anything to him but she didn't let him get away with anything either. YES, Mercedes said yes,** **Oh my god. I believe you guys are going to fall in love with the next chapter. It's going to make you laugh & cry all in one! I asked on my tumblr account which flashbacks moments would you like to read so let me know guys!**


	22. Demonstrate Our Love

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee Nor Anything Else.**

 **Flashback Time Frames- 18 & 10 years ago.**

 **Demonstrate-JoJo**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 _Mercedes shook up the bottle as she sat down in the chair, smiling at the six month old in her arms. She sat her on her lap and placed the bottle in her mouth. Leaning forward, she opened up her book to the correct page and picked up the highlighter. She had a huge test tomorrow and was a little behind on studying. It wasn't easy trying to balance school and a baby but somehow, she was getting through it. She looked down at her daughter and smiled when she found her staring at her. She absolutely loved her and doesn't regret having her. She turned her head when she heard laughing and the door opening, letting her know that her roommate was back. She still lived in the dorms at school. Even though her aunt and uncle insisted she stayed with them, she opted not to because they lived thirty minutes away and she didn't want to have to rush to get ready every morning. They even offered to keep Dani while she went to school but she declined. She didn't want to be away from her baby and it worked out perfectly because the dorm advisors allowed her to stay in the room and they had an on campus daycare. Plus, it was also a blessing that her roommate didn't mind either._

 _Reece held her boyfriend's hand, closing the door behind them, giving Mercedes a smile as she walked over to her, "Still up?"_

 _"Yeah, trying to get some studying in." She replied before her eyes went to her boyfriend, "Hey Chris."_

 _"Hey Mercedes." He smiled as he walked over to her, kissing her cheek then lightly pinching the little girl's chubby cheek, "You still up munchkin?"_

 _Reece chuckled when she saw the little girl turn his way, eyeing him curiously. She looked back at her roommate and gave her a sad smile, "We can watch her if you want to take some time and study."_

 _"No, I don't want to impose on you guys. It's fine."_

 _Chris rolled his eyes as he moved forward and grabbed the baby from her lap, holding the bottle to her mouth as he walked over and sat on his girlfriend's bed._

 _Mercedes gave him a grateful smile as she stood up, closing her book and picking it up. She grabbed her phone and looked at them, "I'm going down to the study lounge. All I need is an hour."_

 _Reece waved her off as she slid out of her shoes, going to sit by her boyfriend, "Go, take as much time as you need. We're good."_

 _Mercedes nodded before she walked over and kissed her daughter's forehead, "Mommy will be right back." She thanked them again before she headed out. Making her way towards the elevator, she pressed the button just as her phone dinged. Seeing she had a text from Santana, she smiled as she texted her back. She missed her so much. It was hard being all the way in California while she was in Georgia. Getting in the elevator, she pushed the first floor and waited for it to go down. Sighing, she closed her eyes for the ride until it stopped, announcing arrival. She stepped off and headed towards the study lounge, smiling at some of the people as she walked in. Heading to the corner to sit down on the blue beanbag, she opened up her book and leaned back, beginning the read the chapter._

Sam yawned as he walked down the stairs, running his hand through hair. He was beyond excited for some reason. He didn't know if it was because Mercedes had stayed over last night or the fact that she was going to be doing the same thing for this whole week. Hitting the bottom step, he turned down the hallway and headed to the kitchen when he heard humming. He stopped at the door frame and leaned against it, a smile creeping on his face as he stared at the woman, who was searching his cabinets.

"Your refrigerator and cabinets are depressing." Mercedes said when she his felt his presence behind her. Turning around, she raised a brow and sent him a strange look, "Why is that?"

Sam chuckled as he made his way to her, "I haven't had time to go get groceries." He wrapped his arms around her, bending down to give her a kiss.

"Maybe I can help you with that." She said as she hooked her arms around his neck, standing up on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss, smiling when he let out a moan, "We can go shopping today."

"Yeah?" He mumbled out as he moved his lips from hers, pulling her closer as he kissed down her neck, his hands slowly going down her back.

"Mhm..so pipe down cowboy." She smiled as she pushed him back, biting down on her bottom lip as she stared at him.

Sam smirked mischievously as he walked backwards, "Let me go get a shirt." He turned around and headed out, "And don't think we're finished."

Mercedes snorted as she shook head, grabbing her phone as she headed towards the foyer. She saw she had a text from Danielle, letting her know that they were heading to the beach.

Sam came back down the stairs quickly, stuffing his wallet in his back pocket. Seeing Mercedes on her phone, he couldn't help but smile. He was so happy that she agreed to stay the week with him. He loved this woman to death and he couldn't wait to marry her.

Mercedes slid her phone in her pocket when she got done texting their daughter. She turned around and gave him a smile as she held out her hand, "Ready?"

Sam nodded as he took hold of her hand, kissing her once again before leading her out the house. This was going to be an adventure.

* * *

 _Sam sighed as he took a seat on the stool, giving the bartender a smile before ordering himself a bottle of Jack Daniels and asking for a beer glass. He was so tired from the game they had played earlier and he wanted nothing more than to relax. Giving the bartender the two hundred dollars, he opened up the container and poured himself a large glass._

 _"You're really going to drink all that straight?" The bartender's concerned voice broke through as she looked at the man curiously._

 _Sam took a long sip, hissing at the burning sensation before his eyes met hers, "Yep." He turned around in the chair and looked at all the people in the room. It was a party for the team reaching playoffs. All of his teammates had their family with them. He grunted as he put the glass to his lips, eyes darting across the room at all the happy and energetic kids run around. He didn't know why but he was starting to feel sad. Everyone looked so happy with their family and he had no one. It was really depressing him and he didn't think he could be around it any longer. Getting off the stool, he grabbed the bottle and his glass, and wobbled out of the room. He felt like the longer he was in there, the more he was suffocating._

Sam held onto Mercedes' hand as they walked into the grocery store, going over to grab a basket, he smirked once an idea popped into his head, opening his mouth to speak but Mercedes cut him off.

"No, I'm not getting into the basket Sam."

"How the hell do you do that?"

Mercedes snorted as she sat her purse in basket, giving him a major side eye, "Because I know you."

Sam laughed as he bumped shoulders with her, dropping a kiss to her lips before gently pushing her out the way, "I'll push."

Mercedes rolled her eyes but smiled at him, glancing over at the produce section, "Alright. Let's start with the fruit and veggies first."

"Yes ma'am." He waited until she walked in front of the basket to follow behind her, watching as she grabbed a couple of clear bags.

Mercedes got a few apples, mangoes, oranges and grapes for Sam, knowing they were his favorites. Then she went down to the vegetables and picked up some fresh kale, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and onions. Once they were finish here, they headed towards the aisle ways to pick up a few items.

Sam smiled as he leaned on the basket and watched Mercedes get different seasonings, oils, sugar and flour to actually put in his empty cabinets. He grinned as he pushed the basket lightly against her butt, earning him a glare tossed from over her shoulder. He snickered as they started back walking again.

"So what exactly did you tell Alex about me?" Mercedes asked curiously as she went down the cereal aisle, Sam still close behind her.

"I told him the truth..well, at least the half truth." Sam sighed as he watched her closely, "I feel like I'm a damn good person to be honest. I don't want him to hate his father, that's the last thing I won't so I didn't tell him that he was the cause of our separation."

Mercedes turned and looked at him, giving him a small smile, placing the two boxes of cereal in the basket before going over to stand in front of him, "You are definitely a good person." She placed a kiss on his lips before walking around him, "Don't let anyone tell you different."

Sam gave her a lopsided grin as he followed behind her. They kept up their playful banter as they shopped for the next twenty minutes. With a basket full of necessities, their last stop was the frozen food section. Must to Mercedes' dismay, he ended up getting a lot of frozen pre-made food, saying that he might not always feel like cooking. Sam was about to ask her a question until he heard loud screaming.

"What the hell?" Mercedes said as she looked at him before walking out the aisle. Seeing a crowd growing in the middle of the store, she walked into the direction and only sped up when she heard the woman crying for help.

"Someone call 911, please."

Mercedes pushed her way through the crowd, "What happened?" She asked when she finally got through, looking down at the teenage girl, who was sitting down next to the boy laying flat on the ground.

"My brother and I were just talking then all of sudden he fainted." She said through her tears, looking at the woman in front of her, "Can you help him?"

Mercedes placed two fingers against the side of his neck to check to see if he had a pulse. Seeing that he did, she scanned his face and body, "Does he has asthma?"

"Yes but he didn't seem like he was having an asthma attack. He just started coughing and he fainted. He doesn't have his inhaler."

Mercedes nodded as she sat on her knees, "I'm going to need everyone to get back." The people did as they was told, looking on worriedly. Mercedes opened his mouth and looked down his throat, cursing underneath her breath. She unbuttoned two of the boy's buttons on his shit, moving it away from his throat area. She placed her ear to his chest to monitor his breathing. She ran her fingers down his throat before she leaned down and pressed her mouth against his, blowing some air in his airways. She did that for the next minute and notice that he was regaining consciousness.

Sam moved to the side when he heard the paramedics coming through with the gurney, looking on with everyone else.

Mercedes lifted her head up when she heard the paramedics announced their arrival, recognizing one of their voices, "I need an emergency inhaler, Asher."

"Yes ma'am." The man said as he went in the first aid bag, opening up a brand new one and handing it to her.

Mercedes shook it up and popped the top, sticking it in his mouth. She pushed for eight sprays, seeing his eyes starting to flutter, she sprayed a good four more just to be safe.

The boy tiredly open his eyes and stared at her, a goofy grin taking over his features as his words came out hoarse, "Y-You're beautiful."

A slow smile came over Mercedes' lips as a laugh escaped her mouth, along with everyone else as they began to clap, "And you need to make sure you don't go anywhere without your inhaler."

Sam watched as the boy nodded, shaking his head with a smile. He watched the paramedics lower the gurney down to place the young man on.

Mercedes stood to her feet, almost falling down when his sister came and hugged her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Mercedes smiled as she hugged her, patting her back, "Just doing my job. Make sure he never leaves without his inhaler again."

The girl nodded as she let go, giving her a smile as she picked up her purse and placed it on her shoulder, going over to where her brother was.

Sam crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her make her way back to him, "Thank goodness you decided to be a doctor."

Mercedes chuckled as she nodded her head, running her hands through her hair, "Yeah or this would've turned out differently."

Sam smiled as he kissed her cheek, grabbing her hand and leading them back to their basket, "Let's go pay for this so we can go home."

Mercedes smiled as she followed behind him, holding onto his hand tight as they walked to the front. Their little grocery shopping day took an eventful turn but luckily, everything was going to be alright.

* * *

 _Mercedes sighed as she sat back on the couch, sipping her lemonade as she rubbed her stomach. She was nine months pregnant and do any day now. She was super happy that both Mike and Santana had came out to California to spend some time with her for their spring break. She missed her best friends so much, it wasn't even funny._

 _"I don't remember this place being so big." Mike said as he sat beside his friend, earning a chuckle from her._

 _"You haven't been here since September." Mercedes said with a sad smile as she patted his shoulder._

 _"I know." Mike said as he turned to the side, rubbing his hand against her huge belly, a smile coming onto his lips when he felt her kicking, "She's really active. Come feel San."_

 _Santana was scrolling down her Facebook page when she came across a picture. A scowl taking over her face as she stared at the smiling blonde. She was too busy glaring at him that she didn't notice when Mike had called her over._

 _Mercedes looked up when she noticed how quiet her friend was, seeing the angry look on her face, "What's wrong Tana?"_

 _"Nothing." She said as she looked up, giving her a smile as she locked her phone, "Nothing at all."_

 _Mercedes pursed her lips as she squinted her eyes, sitting and getting up off the couch with the help of Mike, "Something's wrong. What was your frowning at?"_

 _"It's nothing, Mercedes." She lied as she watched her friend wobble over to her, wincing when she gave her that look. She has never been scared of anyone but every since Mercedes has been pregnant, she has been one scary young woman, "I don't want to upset you."_

 _"Please, nothing at this moment can upset me." She held out her hand, waiting for her to give her the phone. Once she sighed and unlocked it, she handed it to her. Mercedes looked at the picture and frowned deeply. It was him. He was smiling with some of his teammates. He looked really happy. She rolled her eyes as she handed her back the phone and turned away. She let out a deep breath, placing both of her hands on her stomach, closing her eyes, "He has moved on with his life, clearly. I'm trying to do same."_

 _"Why won't you at least confront him Mercedes? Kick his ass, hell I'll do it for you. He had no right to treat you like he did." Mike said angrily as he looked at his best friend._

 _Mercedes placed her hands on her lower back, shaking her head, "There's no point. He said what he said, I'm done with it. I'm not going to beg anyone to be in my daughter's life if they don't want to." She opened her eyes and glanced at him, mustering up a small smile, "She's going to have people that loves her, that's all that matters."_

 _Santana wiped the angry tears that fell from her eyes. Her friend was so strong, more strong that she would probably be if she was in this situation. She loved her so much and she would be damn if she let Sam Evans get away with this, no matter how many times Mercedes said to leave it alone._

 _"Now let's stop talking about him and go get some pizza." Mercedes said as she started walking, only to stop dead in her tracks, taking a deep breath, "Or not."_

 _Mike saw the shocked look on her face and he was going to question her until her heard the water hit the floor. His eyes went wide as he looked down, "Did your water just break?"_

 _"Duh Mike." Santana said as she got up from the couch, running up the stairs to grab Mercedes' hospital bag._

 _Mike went over to Mercedes, wincing at her pain stricken face, "What do you need me to do?"_

 _Mercedes puffed out her cheeks, looking at him as she grabbed his hand, "Just hold my hand..please."_

 _Mike nodded as he kept a tight grip on it, waiting for Santana to come back down. When she did, they headed out the house and to the car to get their friend to the hospital._

* * *

Mercedes swung her legs as she sat on the counter, watching Sam as he put the last of his groceries up. He had on insisted on cooking her a late lunch to thank her for helping him but instead, they just picked up some sandwiches from their favorite bistro.

Sam threw the empty bag in the garbage, turning around, he gave Mercedes a smile as he walked over, standing in front of her, "Thank you again."

 _I live in this fantasy where everything is amplified_

 _Senses hiding in a flash and everything just comes alive_

 _This pressure all inside of me is sexual anxiety_

Mercedes smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, bending down and placing her lips on his, "You're very welcome Mr. Evans."

Sam let his hands dropped to her lower back, pulling her closer to the edge of the counter. He moved to stand between her legs, smirking as he looked up at her, whispering as his hands made their way back to the front, toying with the ends of her tank, "Is there any way I can repay you?"

Mercedes saw the lustful glint in his eyes so she decided to tease him a bit. Pressing a kiss to his lips, cheeks, then left a small trail down his neck before pulling back with an innocent expression, "Nope, we're good."

Sam knew what she was doing and he wasn't going to let her get away with it. She hasn't change since they were younger and he knew exactly how to take advantage of knowing her body. He hid the smug smile on his face as his hands went under her shirt and up her sides, hearing her breath hitch, he kissed the pressure point on her throat, mumbling against her skin, "Are you sure?"

 _Baby there's a lot of freaky shit running my mind that_

 _I can't say, but I know I can demonstrate_

 _And I can let my body explain_

 _I know I can demonstrate_

 _So I'ma make it simple and plain_

 _You just need to come over_

 _I can just demonstrate_

"Nope." Her voice was low and full of want. _Damn you Sam Evans_ she thought as she moaned out in satisfaction.

Sam gave himself a mental pat on the back as he lifted her tank off of her, going in for a deep kiss as he tossed the item on the floor.

Mercedes draped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, throwing her head back when she felt his lips move from her neck to across her chest, "Stop teasing."

"Yes ma'am." He said with a lopsided grin as he pulled her off the counter, moving out of the kitchen, down the hall and up the stairs to his bedroom. He kicked the door open with his foot, heading over to the bed, where he lightly tossed her on.

Mercedes squealed as she sat up on her elbows, chewing on her bottom lip as she watched him remove his shirt.

 _I'm arrested by the night and only you can set me free_

 _Guilty but I'm not ashamed, I'm exactly where I wanted to be_

 _I leave the door open wide in hopes that you will sneak inside_

Sam grabbed her yoga pants and slid them off swiftly, getting back on the bed, he hovered over her and let his darken eyes roam her body, "You know I don't like lace."

"Too bad." She said as she ran her hand through his hair, sending him a wink as she sat up, taking ahold of his lips in a smoldering kiss, tugging his bottom one into her mouth. Her hand made its way down his chest, finding his belt and undoing it, never removing her mouth from his. Unbuckling his jeans, she ran her finger along the band of his boxers, causing him to groan.

"Not so fast." He said in a husky tone as he moved her hand back, undoing her bra and taking it off. There was no way she was taking control tonight. He bent down and starting sucking slowing on one of her veins that was popping from her neck, leaving multiple marks of pleasure. His mouth moved down towards her breasts, taking her left nipple into his mouth, sucking and lapping on the bud then repeated his actions to the right one.

 _Baby there's a lot of freaky shit running my mind that_

 _I can't say, but I know I can demonstrate_

 _And I can let my body explain_

"Sam." Mercedes moaned out as she ran her nails across his back, feeling the pit of her stomach tighten up as he kissed his way down, ripping the lacy material from her bottom, "You're going to have to buy me another pair."

Sam hummed a response at her before pushing her legs apart, going over to her right thigh and biting his way up, doing the same to her left one. He licked his lips when he saw her already dripping, "All ready for me I see."

Mercedes didn't even have a chance to answer before his mouth covered her core. Digging her nails deep in his back, she yelled out in pleasure as his tongue sucked and played with her sensitive nub, "Fuck." She threw her head back, closing her eyes as a throaty moan left her lips, feeling herself come undone rather quickly.

Sam smirked in satisfaction as he licked her clean, lifting his head up, he saw that her eyes were still closed and he leaned forward, kissing her hard.

Mercedes placed her hand on the back of his neck, grinding her body against his. She groaned when he pulled back, getting off the bed, she gave him a questionable look before it faded away. She watched him through hooded lids as he removed his pants and boxers.

 _I know I can demonstrate_

 _So I'ma make it simple and plain_

 _You just need to come over_

 _I can just demonstrate_

 _I'm thinking come over, come over, come over_

 _I'm thinking come over, come over_

 _I'm thinking.._

Sam got back on the bed and hovered over her again. He lazily began to kiss her as he aligned himself to enter her. Once he did, they both hissed when he was inside of her. Its been awhile for them both so he was going to take things slow. He wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her still, moving his hips upwards in a slow, steady pace.

Mercedes moaned lowly, her fingers tangling into his damp hair as her body kept up with his pace. She pulled her mouth back from his, kissing his jawline before sucking at the skin of his collarbone, whispering, "Faster."

He did what she asked, picking up his speed as his hands went down her backside, squeezing her ass cheeks as he gave deep, long strokes.

 _Baby there's a lot of freaky shit running my mind that_

 _I can't say, but I know I can demonstrate_

Mercedes could barely keep her eyes open as he moved hastily inside of her. It was an amazing feeling though and she didn't want it to end. Feeling herself at her peak, her legs began to shake uncontrollably as she came undone, letting Sam's name roll off her tongue repeatedly.

Sam wasn't too far behind her, dropping his head down on her shoulder as he slowed down his pace. All you could hear in the room was the sounds of the air conditioner and their heavy breathing. He lifted his head and stared at with a dopey smile, "Well then."

"That was..intense." Mercedes said with a drunk like giggle as she laid back, smiling up at him as she tried to control her breathing.

"Most definitely." He bent down and gave her a long, sweet kiss before speaking again, "Amazingly intense."

"And we're just getting started." Mercedes smirked at him as she rolled from under him, getting out the bed, she pulled her hair up and placed it in a ponytail before heading to the bathroom, "It's my turn to take control."

Sam bit down on his lip as he watched her, seeing that she was turning the shower on. A devious smile crept on his face as he got out the bed and followed behind her. This was definitely going to be a very long, wild night.

 _And I can let my body explain_

 _I know I can demonstrate_

 _So I'ma make it simple and plain_

 _Come over so I can demonstrate_

* * *

 **A/N. Thoughts? Let me know, I'm keeping it short today! Hope you enjoyed this update & have a wonderful weekend. :) **


	23. Dealing With The Past

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Sam groaned out loud when he heard his phone ringing, taking the pillow off of his head, he blindly reached for it and slid the answer button, opening his eyes. He then realized that it was on FaceTime when he saw a familiar pair of brown eyes staring back at him.

"Dad, you're suppose to be up already." Danielle said with a smile as she played with one of her French braids, "Good morning."

"Good morning sweet pea." He said before a yawn escaped his mouth, excusing himself as he blinked rapidly, "What time is it?"

"Nine thirty." She squinted her eyes at him, nothing the excessive yawning he was doing, "Are you okay? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine..just had a long night, that's all." Sam said as he hid a smile that was tugging on his lips as memories from last night and early this morning started to evade his mind. Clearing his thoughts, he distinctly moved the pillow to cover the side of his neck so she wouldn't see the multiple purple bruises there, "What are you up to?"

"Just finishing up breakfast. We're going parasailing today."

"That's sounds fun." He said with a smile as he watched her nod with excitement. His eyebrows twitched up in confusion when he heard gasps coming from behind her and then a chuckle escaped his mouth when two girls came in view.

"Praise." Danielle's friend, Shayla, said as she leaned over her shoulder and stared at a shirtless Sam through the phone, "You didn't tell me your dad was this fine."

"My sentiments exactly." Bria said with a bright smile as she sent Sam a small wave, "Dani's been holding out on us."

"Chill out." Danielle said with a frown plastered on her lips as she pushed them away, getting up from the seat and heading out the room, "Sorry."

Sam snorted at the disgusted look on her face, "It's fine."

Danielle sat on the ottoman on the front porch, looking out towards the ocean before her eyes went back to her father, "How is mom?"

"She's fine..mhm, we had dinner last night."

"That's cute." Danielle said with a smirk as she stared at him for a moment, tilting her head to the side, "Anything else?"

"Nope, that's it." He gave her a challenging smirk of his own. He knew what she was doing and she wasn't going to get anything out of him. And he definitely was not going to share anything about last night with his daughter, other than the dinner part. Hearing his work phone ring, he cursed underneath his breath, "I forgot I have to go in today."

"You should get up and get ready. I just wanted to call and check in."

"Thank you for doing so. You have fun out there and be safe. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too, bye." Sam smiled at her when she waved, ending the connection. He tossed his phone on his bed, running his hands over his face as he sat up in his bed just as Mercedes came in dressed in her navy blue scrubs for work, "I was wondering where you were."

"Good morning." Mercedes smiled as she pulled her hair up into a bun, walking over to him, she bent down and dropped a kiss to his lips.

Sam pulled her down on the bed, muffling her squeal as he kissed her back deeply before letting up, a goofy smile on his lips, "It's a good morning indeed."

Mercedes shook her head when she saw that familiar glint in his eyes, pushing him back, "Nope, get up. We're both already late for work."

Sam sighed as a pout took over his lips, moving the cover off of him so he could get out of bed, "You're right." He smiled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her once again, "I love you."

"I love you too." She placed her hands on the sides of his face, squishing his cheeks together and leaning forward to press her lips against his, "Now let me go so I can get to work."

"Fine." He frowned as he pulled back, watching her laugh and walked over to the other side of the bed to get her phone and keys.

Mercedes snickered as she walked back over to him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him again. Stepping back, she walked backwards towards the door, "And by the way, last night was amazing. You still got it, Evans. See you tonight."

Sam just smirked as he watched her turn around and walk out his room. Oh yeah, he was definitely going to have a good day and it was all because of that woman right there.

* * *

Santana folded her arms and crossed her legs as she sat back in the chair, running her tongue over her teeth as she stared at her best friend. They were both on their lunch break and they decided to eat in the cafeteria today. A smirk appeared on her lips as she leaned forward and picked up her fruit punch and took a sip, "I just want to know how you're not sore."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she placed her fork in her mouth, chewing on her food as she glared at her friend. Santana has been teasing her every since she came into work. She told her that she didn't even have to tell her she and Sam had sex marathon because she could easily tell. Her best friend was glowing brighter than she was when she was pregnant, "I soaked for an hour in some special salt and bath oil mix Sam had. He said he used it after every game and I see why. It worked wonders."

"Oh damn." Santana chuckled as she picked up of piece of cantaloupe from her fruit cup and tossed it in her mouth, "All that pent up sexual frustration between the both of you was released indeed. From your glow and that huge hickie patch you failed at trying to cover, I can only imagine what Sam looks like."

"Oh my god, San."

Santana laughed as she folded her arms, "I'm just saying. I'm happy for you though. You seem happy and that's all that matters."

"I really am." Mercedes said with a smile as she looked at her, "It's been a very long time since I have been really happy. Everything just feel right in my life right now."

"That's great sweetie." Santana reached over and gave her hand a squeeze, "You two have a special bond that not even the shit you been through could break it because look at you now. Twenty years later, you're still in love and you're engaged. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is."

Mercedes smiled as she leaned back in the chair. She thought about what Santana said and she couldn't help but let it soak in. All this time apart and the love was still there. It was rare but definitely not impossible. Mercedes came out of her thoughts when she felt her phone vibrate, Santana's doing the sam. Picking it up, she read the emergency alert that was from the hospital and her heart dropped once she read the text, standing up almost immediately.

"Shit." Santana muttered as she looked at the video, her hand going over her mouth as she squinted and saw the familiar face, "T-That's Cassie."

Mercedes felt her breathing pick up, looking up, she saw the guards heading to the doors trying to lock down. She ran over just in time to slide out but one of them caught her arm.

"Dr. Jones, it's a code silver."

"I know that but my sister is down there." Mercedes said as she tried to pull her arm out of his tight grip, "Look, I know you're doing your job Nate but let me go right the hell now or I will so kindly make you pass out without even knowing. Trust me, I know how and yes, I am threatening an officer but at this moment, I don't give a damn. Arrest me later, right now, I'm going to get my sister."

Nate stared at Mercedes for a moment before sighing, letting her go, "Fine but I'm coming with you."

Mercedes nodded as she darted her eyes over to Santana, both of them not uttering a word because they knew what they were thinking. She turned down the hallway and pushed the elevator button down hard, running her hands over her face, she hit the wall, "Dammit, come on." She stepped in almost immediately when it opened, Nate following behind her, she pushed the first floor. Quickly, she stepped out when the doors opened back up. She could hear the commotion up front and she was thankful that the elevators didn't cause a distraction. Nate pulled out his gun from his holster and moved in front of Mercedes. Mercedes walked behind the guard, seeing nurses ducking down behind the counters, her heart began to bear erratically when her baby sister came in view. An unknown man had his arm around her neck with a gun pointing to her temple, demanding that he spoke to her.

"I'm right here." Mercedes answered as she stepped from behind Nate, much to his dismay.

Cassie sniffled hard as he turned her around, tears running down her cheeks as she looked at her sister, whimpering, "Cedes.."

"Shut up." The man yelled at her, tightening his grip on her. His eyes found the doctor and glared at her in rage, "You took her from me."

"I don't know what you mean." Mercedes said as she took a step forward, only to stop when he pointed the gun at her, causing her to put her hands up, "Why are you doing this?"

"Your family took our daughter away from us."

"No, you were fucking alcoholics who left her on a sidewalk and never came back. She was only a year old." She spatted out angrily, moving closer as he still pointed the gun shakily to her, "Let her go."

"NO." He yelled out, seeing movement behind her, he shot Nate in the shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground and screams to run out, "Here's what's going to happen. She leaving with me. I'm taking her home and she going to be with her real family. She's my daughter, you people are not family."

Cassie's tears were blurring her vision as she struggled against his hold, "Please let me go."

"Nope." He laughed as he put his finger on the trigger with the gun still pointed at Mercedes, "Say goodbye."

"NO!" Cassie screamed as she heard the gun go off, shutting her eyes as she cried loudly.

Mercedes eyes went wide as a gun shot him but there was no shooter in sight. Her eyes went to the deranged man and watched as his gun dropped to the ground and his grip loosen Cassie.

Cassie opened her eyes and saw Mercedes still standing, she ran over to her and wrapped her arms around her, crying into his chest.

Mercedes held her protectively, placing her hand on the back of her head as she kissed her forehead, whispering, "It's okay." She watched as the police officers finally arrived and grabbed the still alive unknown man up, putting him in cuffs. She then turned her head and saw the nurses attend to a wounded Nate. She made sure that he was okay before pulling her little sister away and towards the elevator.

* * *

Sam knocked lightly as he opened the door, peeping in. His eyes moved around the barely lit room as he stepped in. Spotting her on the couch, he gave a sad smile as he closed the door back and made his way over. Mercedes had called him earlier to let him know what had happened and why she wouldn't be back to his house tonight, but little did she know, he already knew, "Hey."

Mercedes was laid back on the couch with Cassie sound asleep on her, much like she use to do when she was little, "Hi."

"How is she? How are you?" Sam asked as he looked at the blonde laying on her chest before his eyes met hers as he took a seat.

"Shaken up, more her than me." Mercedes whispered, giving him a sad smile when she felt water starting to fill her eyes, "She's my little sister, if anything would've happened to her, I don't know what I would've done."

"I understand." He said as he leaned forward to wipe the tears from her eyes, "Both of you are safe, that's all that matters."

Mercedes nodded as she leaned back on the couch, "Cassie told me that he had came to her job and drugged her out with the gun to her side. He wanted revenge. He planned to kill me and the rest of my family." She ran her fingers through Cassie's hair before looking over at Sam, "What I'm still trying to figure out is who shot him. I mean, the cops didn't make it yet and there was no one in sight where the bullet came from."

Sam bit down on his bottom lip before sighing, "Yeah..about that." He saw the confusion on her face and he knew he was going to get a good cussing out, "I knew what was going on because the bodyguards I hired, they keep me informed. Their job is to protect you at all cost necessary. They're trained officers, Mercedes. So the asshole got shot by one of them. How the hell did they do that undetected? I have no idea." He watched as Mercedes stared at him intensely with an unreadable face and quite honestly, it was making him very uncomfortable. He gave her nervous smile as he gulped, "I love you. I love you. I love you so much."

Mercedes shook her head after a few minutes of staring at him, "What am I going to do with you, Sam Evans?"

"Just love me, Dr. Jones." He muttered as he pressed a kiss to her lips, smiling against them, "I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled, feeling Cassie tighten her grip around her waist, she chuckled as she looked back at Sam, "She use to do this when she was little, Dani did too."

"You always had that motherly nature to you." He spoke honestly as he pinched her cheeks teasingly, earning a groan from the woman.

Mercedes rolled her eyes at his silliness, "I'm going to stay with her for awhile to make sure she's okay."

"Completely understandable." He said as he gave her a reassuring smile, "For what it's worth, this past weekend and two days were amazing."

"It was, not exactly how I wanted it to end but you know.."

Sam nodded before taking off his suit jacket, hearing Mercedes pager go off, he watched her sigh, "I can stay with her until you get off."

"No, I don't want to inconvenience you."

"You're not."

Mercedes gave him a small smile as she unwrapped the woman's arms from around her, kissing her forehead before laying her down on the couch and standing up. She looked at Sam and leaned down to kiss him, "I'll just be another hour. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He gave her another kiss before rolling the sleeves of his shirt up, "I'll be here when you get back."

Mercedes nodded as she grabbed her white coat, giving them another glance before she headed for the door. Everything that happened today was fast and unexpected but she was glad no one got hurt..well, except Nate but he pulled through.

* * *

 _"Slow down, Cassie!" Mercedes chuckled as the six year old pulled her down the steps, watching her green hazel colored eyes look back at her with excitement. Her family had came to visit her for a couple days and she was so happy that they were here. She had missed every single one of them, especially this little energetic girl right here._

 _Cassie smiled brightly when they finally got to the end of the boardwalk, taking a seat on the bench, she looked out towards the ocean, "Where are they, Cedes?"_

 _Mercedes smiled as she picked her up and placed her in her lap, turning slightly, "You have to wait."_

 _Cassie nodded as she turned back around, staring out intensely at the ocean. Mercedes had promised that she would take her to see the dolphins. Her parents said that they would watch Dani for her while she took her little sister out for the morning. She was quite happy for a six year old to be up at barely six o'clock in the morning, "Ooo, there they are."_

 _Mercedes looked over her shoulder and smiled, nodding her head. Indeed, they were. It was about eight of them jumping in and out of the water, bringing a huge smile to both of their faces._

 _Cassie leaned back on her and played with the drawstrings of her jacket, "I'm so happy to be here. I miss you so much, Cedes."_

 _"I miss you too, sweetheart. More than you even know."_

 _Cassie turned her head to look up at her, "When are you and Dani going to come back and live with us?"_

 _"I don't know, sweetie. Maybe when I finish up school." She smiled sadly when she saw the sadness spread across her face. Mercedes playfully squished her cheeks together, causing a giggle to escape the little girl's mouth, "I may not get to see you everyday but we can always talk on the phone and you can come and visit me."_

 _Cassie nodded as she leaned up and hugged her around her neck, "I love you, Cedes."_

 _"I love you more, kiddo." Mercedes kissed the side of her head as she hugged her back tightly, letting go, "Now let's finish watching the dolphins before they leave then I'll take you to eat the best pancakes ever."_

 _Cassie eyes lit up before nodding, turning around and leaning back on her chest. She was so happy to spend this time with her sister. She really did miss her being around all the time._

Cassie moved her hair behind her ears before gripping her cup tightly, taking a sip of her hot tea before she back on the couch. She looked over at the clock and saw that it was a little after three in the morning. Sniffling, she wiped the tears from her eyes as she sat there in the living room.

Mercedes moved her arm over the other side of the bed, noticing the coolness, she opened her eyes and saw it was empty. Taking the covers off of her, she stepped out of the bed and walked out the room. Finding Cassie on the couch, she moved closer and saw the blonde's tears stained face, her cheeks were flushed while her nose was red, "What's wrong Cas?"

"Nothing Cedes." She sniffled as she tried to muster up a smile, running her hand through her hair as she watched her sit next to her, "I'm sorry I ruined your catch up sexathon week with Sam."

Mercedes rolled her eyes, feeling her cheeks heat up. _How the hell did everyone know that?,_ "No, you need me more and I'm going to be here for you."

Cassie gave her a small smile once she realized she didn't deny it. She ran her fingers over her cup and looked down, "I'm sorry..I'm just shook up. It's scary and it feels so unreal that he even found me, let alone did this."

Mercedes nodded as she wrapped her arm around her shoulders, moving closer, "I know and we're going to make sure no one else tries to come and hurt you."

Cassie broke down in tears, breathing harshly as she stared at Mercedes blurry eyed, "I-I thought he had shot you. I thought you were gone. I don't know what I would've done without you."

Mercedes took the cup out of her hands and sat it on the table, pulling her into her arms, "Breathe." She rubbed her back, placing her chin on top of her head as she listened to her cry, "I'm here Cas and no one is ever going to take you away."

"I just don't want anyone to hurt you, mom, dad, Megan or Charles." She said as she laid her head on her chest, wiping her tears, "Y'all are my family and I..would be so lost without any of you."

"We're going be here, sweetie. Forever getting on your nerves, dad and Charles being extra overprotective of you because you are the baby and you work in a bar." She chuckled lightly, causing Cassie to do the same. When Cassie first started at the bar, Charles and their dad was there doing her whole shift, making sure no guy got out of hand, "Promise me right now, that you will go talk to someone. This was very traumatic for you, and I think it would be best if you see a therapist."

Cassie nodded as she leaned up, wiping her face before looking at her sister, "I will."

Mercedes smiled as she pressed a kiss to her forehead, wrapping her up in a big hug, "I love you."

"I love you too." She said as she squeezed her tight, closing her eyes as she laid her head down on her shoulder.

"Now come on, let's go get some sleep." Mercedes said as she pulled back, standing up, she held her hand for her to take.

Cassie stood up and took her hand, giving her a small squeeze as they walked side by side back to her bedroom. She was truly hoping that nothing else like this happened. She had a good life and she wanted nothing to do with the people who didn't care about her or their family. One thing she was going to do was go see a therapist. She didn't want to hold out on that just to let it damage her in the future.

* * *

 **A/N. Dani friends are me af, lol. We will see more of them! Do you think Danielle knows what's really going on with her parents? We didn't get much Samcedes this chapter but that's going to change because more of them & flashbacks coming soon! And how about Sam leaving that small detail out about the bodyguards being trained officers? This chapter was a little more Cascedes centric & for a reason. Sam is getting together with the Jones' family soon. I know you guys are wondering when and if Dani will meet Sam's family..well..yeah, you'll see! **


	24. Family Meet-Ups

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Sam was sitting on his couch with Mercedes on his lap, looking at the laptop screen on the side of him. It was Sunday evening and he was going over some clips from all the games this weekend so he could be ready for his segment tomorrow morning. Yawning, he looked up when the doorbell rung. He patted Mercedes thigh so she could get up, moving his laptop to the table as he got up. He blew out a breath as he walked up the two steps and went through the foyer, opening the door, he found an irritated Dani, "What's wrong?"

Danielle huffed as she walked passed him, crossing her arms over her chest, "Do know how irritated I am for having to listen to my friends fawn over you for a five hour car ride? Curse you and your good looks dad, seriously."

"I'm sorry." Sam bit down on his bottom lip to keep his laughter from bubbling out, watching her turn around and head into the living room. He followed behind her and saw that she went over to her to her mom and sat on her lap.

Mercedes smiled at her daughter before wrapping her arms around her, "Besides that, did you have a good trip?"

"Amazing." Danielle said with a smile as she looked at them, "We should go as a family one weekend."

"I think a family trip is a great idea." Sam said as he sat back down in his seat, turning to look at them, "But a different location."

"Speaking of family." Mercedes said as she looked at her daughter, clearing her throat, "There's something we want to tell you."

Danielle scanned her face before turning to look at her dad, seeing the smile on his lips, she turned back to her mom, "Okay.." She watched as she lifted her left hand up and was confused for a second until her mouth dropped, spotting the engagement ring on her third finger, "That's a ring."

"Yeah, that's what they're called Dani." Mercedes snorted as she watched her daughter look up at her.

"You're engaged?" She said as she looked between her two parents, seeing them both nod, her face scrunched up as tears began to immediately fall from her eyes.

Sam smile dropped when he saw her cover her face. He was confused because it wasn't a happy cry, more like an upset one. He looked over at Mercedes in confusion before turning back to the girl.

"Danielle, what's wrong?" Mercedes asked worriedly as she watched her practically break down, "Sweetheart."

"I-It's not that I'm n-not happy for you because I am." She said through her tears, moving her hands from her away from her face, her blurry vision looking at her, "You two could've been married by now and had a house full of kids like you always wanted. So many years, both of you could've been so happy but it was snatched away. A-And for what?"

Sam got up from the couch and went in front of them, squatting down, he grabbed her hands, "Look at me." He watched her shake her head and he hook his finger underneath her chin, "It's okay. Do you want to know why? Because I have you both now. Yeah, it's pretty messed up that it took this long but at the end of the day, I'm thankful because God forbade me for never not knowing the truth." He let go and wiped her face with his hands, "Don't cry sweet pea. Everything's not how we all planned but I'm so happy that I have a second chance."

Mercedes rubbed Dani's back and giving Sam a small smile. She didn't even have to add on to anything he just said because he said it perfectly.

Danielle sniffled as she felt more tears sliding down her cheeks, "I love you so much dad and I'm glad that you're in my life."

Sam gave her a smile before leaning forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead and wrapping her into a hug, "Ditto, kiddo."

Mercedes snorted at his dorkiness, shaking her head as she laid her head down on her daughter's back, "We're good, Dani. No one is ever going to break our family up again."

Danielle nodded as she wiped her face and hugged him back tightly before letting go, turning to the side to look between the two, "Congratulations, I'm really excited. And you did a very good job on this ring selection, dad." She said with a smile as she lifted her mom's hand and scanned the heart shaped diamond, "Have you decided on a date yet?"

"Nope, I was waiting for you to come home before I did anything."

Sam stood up from his spot and headed back to his seat but stopped when he heard the front door open, "Shit, I forgot."

"What's wrong?" Mercedes asked him, realizing almost immediately when she heard their voices.

"Sam, seriously man, you need to plant some flowers.." Sander stopped his tracks when he saw them in the living room, causing his sister to run into the back of him.

"What the hell Sander?" Summer asked as she stepped from behind him, seeing the family, her eyes went wide but not before seeing Danielle, "Sorry, we didn't know.."

Dani got up from her mom's lap, giving them a small wave, "Hi."

"Hey." Sander and Summer's voices ran out at the same time as they moved into the living room, staring at the girl in awe.

"Danielle, these two are my younger brother sister, Sander and Summer."

"It's nice to meet you." She said with a sincere smile as she reached out to shake both of their hands.

"You too." Sander smiled as he shook her hands, standing back to let his sister go ahead.

"My god you're more beautiful in person." Summer said before turning to Mercedes, "Are you sure she's Sam's kid?"

Sam rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, earning a chuckle from both Mercedes and Danielle.

"I'm positive."

Summer smirked as she leaned over and pinched her older brother's cheeks, laughing when he pushed her away, "You know I'm just kidding. You're adorable for an old man."

Sam scoffed as he walked pass them, "I'm going to go get y'all stuff so you can get out of my house."

Sander waved him off as he went over and gave Mercedes a hug, Summer doing the same before they both sat on the couch in front of them.

Dani ran her hand through her hair as she took a seat beside her mom, crossing her legs. She looked at aunt and uncle, easily noticing the similarities that they had with her dad. Clearing her throat, she decided to break the silence, "So..um, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a web designer. My job is to take on the visual aspect, which includes designing layouts, coloring and typography of web pages."

"She's very smart, has been every since she was little." Mercedes added as she looked at her daughter.

Summer blushed slightly as a smile came over her lips, "Thanks Cedes."

"That's pretty cool." Danielle smiled at her before her eyes drifted to Sander, "How about you?"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about that. What exactly do you do Sander if you're not using your degree?" Sam asked as he came back in with two folders in his hands, handing it to them.

Sander smirked as he leaned back on the couch, placing his arms behind his head, "I'm just living life big bro."

Summer rolled her eyes at him, "Meaning he's unemployed because he won't put his mechanical engineering degree to work."

"I'm going to start in two years tops, right now I just want to be free."

"Your mom would have a stroke if she found out what you did on weekends for money.." Mercedes stopped when she saw him sit up and shake his head, "Oops."

Sam turned to his little brother, "What do you do on weekends?" He watched as he ran his hands over his face, muffling out his words, "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

Danielle watched on in amusement, seeing how red he was turning made her curious to find out what exactly he did, that only him and her mom knew about.

"I'm a model, okay?" He frowned as he looked at them, "I model for an art class."

Summer lips twitched up into an amused smile, scanning her brother's face, "Oh my god Sander, you get naked don't you?"

"Jesus take the wheel." Sam muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose, while his sister hollered out in laughter.

Danielle chuckled, placing her hand over her mouth, "Wow."

"Sorry Sander, I thought you told them." Mercedes said as she tucked in her lips, trying to keep her laughter at bay when he grabbed the pillow from the couch and place it over his face, "In his defense, it's nothing illegal and I think it's creative. He doesn't get fully naked either."

Sam turned to his fiancée with a raised brow, "And how would you know that?"

"I went last Saturday. It's actually really good and very professional. The artists are very focus and serious about their work." She shrugged with a smile, "He's just in his briefs, that's it."

"So, you're a low-paid, nonprofessional art underwear model. This is gold, straight gold Sander." Summer said as she held her sides, snorting. She was enjoying this way too much for her brother's liking.

"You know what, yes. I do it because I actually enjoy it." Sander said as he stood up from the couch, glaring at his sister before turning to Danielle, smiling, "It was really nice to finally meet you Danielle. Hopefully we can get together soon and have lunch or something to get to know each other better."

"Most definitely." Dani said with a smile, watching him glare at his sister and brother one last time before heading out.

Summer wiped the tears from her eyes as she stood up, picking up her folder and tucking it underneath her arm, "Danielle, I wish we could stay longer but we have to go do something. It was nice meeting you and I agree with Sander, we have to get together soon." She smiled at the girl before looking over at her brother, "Thank you Sam and I'll see you guys later. Love you."

"Love you too." Sam said as turned back to Mercedes and Danielle, opening and closing his mouth before shaking his head and sitting back down.

Mercedes snorted at him before wrapping her arm around Dani's shoulders, "Those were the infamous Sander and Summer Evans, I have a feeling you three will get along really well."

"Yeah." Danielle giggled as she turned and looked at her dad, "Now that I've met them, I think I'm ready to meet everyone else, including my cousins."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, seeing her nod yes, he looked at Mercedes before looking back at her, "I can see if we can do dinner or something next week."

"Okay, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to raid your kitchen for some food."

Mercedes chuckled when she got up, leaving the two alone. She turned to Sam and grabbed his hand, "It's going to be fine."

"Let's just hope to God it will be." He said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek, leaning back on the couch. He still wasn't speaking that much to his mom and older sister but he knew that was going have to change for this dinner.

* * *

Cassie put the seasoned shrimp into the pan as she moved around the kitchen. She had volunteered to help make dinner tonight for the family. It was the least she could do to thank her parents for letting her stay here for the last week. It's been hard every since the incident and she really didn't want to be in her apartment alone since her boyfriend was off-shore working.

"I just don't see why you all are going all out for him."

Diane rolled her eyes at her husband and propped a hand on her hip, "We're not going all out."

"Yeah dad, it's Taco Tuesday and he just happened to be coming on tonight." Cassie said with a chuckle as she slid the pan in the sink, turning back around to look at him, "What do you have against Sam anyways?"

"I've never liked the boy."

"Well you are going to have to like him for Dani's sake because that is her father." Diane glared at him before walking out of the kitchen to sit the plates on the patio table.

"And Mercedes' future husband." Cassie muttered quietly underneath her breath, seeing her dad sulking in his chair, "Dad, Sam really is a good man, you should give him a chance to prove it to you."

David sighed as he grabbed his cup, grumbling to himself as he left the kitchen, causing his daughter to laugh at him for acting like a kid.

Mercedes stared at Sam as he tugged at the collar of his shirt for the fourth time since they got out the truck, "Babe, you alright?"

"No." He admitted honestly as he turned to her on the porch. Danielle had already went in before them and Sam was such a nervous wreck he couldn't step foot into the house, "I haven't seen your parents since we graduated high school. I'm pretty sure they hate my guts despite them knowing the truth."

"They don't hate you Sam."

"Okay, let me rephrase that. I know your mom doesn't hate me but your dad does. He never has liked me. The man legit hates me Mercedes."

Mercedes stopped his hands before he reached his shirt again, "Its going fine, just relax." She smiled as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, snorting when he let out whine. Sam gulped when she opened the door, stepping in behind her.

Diane stepped into the foyer with a big smile on her face, going to hug her daughter. She kissed her cheek and pulled back, staring at Sam for a minute, "Well, what are you waiting for? Come here."

Sam didn't hesitate to go hug her, "It's good to see you Mrs. Jones."

"Diane, please." She said as she hugged tightly before letting go, running her hands down his cheeks, "You're aging well."

Sam chuckled at the older woman, "I'll definitely take that compliment from someone who doesn't look a day over twenty."

"Stop it boy, now I know for sure you're being a charmer." Diane tapped his shoulder before turning back to her daughter, "Food is almost ready. Go help Cassie in the kitchen."

"Yes ma'am." She said as she grabbed Sam's hand, leading him to the kitchen. She found her sister taking the guacamole dip from the refrigerator and she smiled, "There goes my favorite blondie."

Cassie closed the fridge with her foot, smiling when she faced them, "And there goes my favorite love story plot couple."

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked as he went around and gave her a quick hug.

"Better, thanks for asking." Cassie said with a sincere smile as she patted his back before opening the cabinets.

"I see nothing has changed. You're still lurking around food, as always." Megan said as she came into the kitchen, directing her comment to Sam. She gave the man a small smile, seeing him open his mouth, she stopped him, "Listen Sam. I have no animosity towards you anymore. You just treat my niece and sister right, like I know you will. I'm just warning you now, if I cross that little fuck of a brother of yours, I'm going to hurt him."

Sam nodded as he listened to her, "Understand and I have no problem with that at all."

Megan smiled before making her way over to give him a hug, "It's really good to see you again."

"You too." He pulled away when he heard running coming towards them.

"Mom, X won't let me watch my show on TV." The nine year old came up to her with a frown on his face, staring at her.

"Because you're being a jerk." Thirteen year old Chance said as he came into the kitchen, going to stand by his aunt Mercedes but he regretted it when she hit him upside the head, "Ouch."

"Don't call your brother that." Mercedes and Megan's voices ran out at the same time, glaring at him.

Xavier winced when he saw the looks on their faces. They were so much alike it was scary. He turned to Sam with a smile on his face, holding out his hand, "Sam Evans, Xavier Anderson. It's nice to meet you, huge fan."

Sam chuckled as he shook then teen's hand, giving him a nod, "It's nice to meet you too."

Xavier gestured towards his aunt, "Good luck with this one, she's a spitfire."

"Boy." Mercedes said as she walked up to him, watching him run behind his mom, "Get your son before I remove his ligaments."

"I'm Chance." Chance said as he moved in front of his mom and looked up at Sam, giving him a confused look, "You look like Dani but whiter."

Sam snorted at the young boy, earning a laugh from everyone in the room, "Yeah, that's because she's my daughter."

Chance eyes went wide before looking over at Mercedes for confirmation, when she nodded, he smiled, "Welcome to our family."

"I like this kid already. Thank you, Chance."

"Alright everyone, party's here." Charles said as he came in with his wife in tow, greeting everyone. Mercedes introduced Sam to Charles wife, Siyah. Charles nodded into Sam's direction, "Good to see you again, Evans."

"Charles." Sam greeted, smiling at the little girl in his arms as she waved at him, "Hey there cutie."

"This is Jazmine but we call her Jazzy." Charles said as he watched his daughter in shocked when she reached out for Sam.

"Unbelievable." Megan said as she threw her hands up, watching as Sam held the baby in his arms, "She likes everyone but me."

Charles laughed at his sister before sitting down the baby bag, "Where's Dru?"

"He's still sick."

Sam looked at the little girl in his arms, watching as she stared back at him with a smile of her own. He didn't know why all of sudden he felt himself getting emotional..no, that was a lie. He knew exactly why but he pushed his tears back when he heard Mercedes' mom calling everyone out back. He handed her to Charles before stepping back, feeling Mercedes grab his hand, he looked down at her.

"You okay?" She searched his eyes, taking notice of how he was trying to mask his sadness but he couldn't pull one over on her.

"I missed a lot." He said quietly as he stared down at her, feeling a tear slide down his face. He thanked God that everyone had left out because he felt like he was about to turn into an emotional mess.

Mercedes wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him, "I know and I hate it..but we have to move on from the past, just like you told Danielle Sunday. It hurts like hell, trust me I know but we got to be thankful for what we have right now."

Sam nodded as he hugged her back, "You're right."

"Duh." She smirked as she leaned up to wipe his cheeks with her hands, standing on her tiptoes and kissed him softly, "I love you."

"I love you too." He said as he kissed her again before grabbing her hand, leading her out the door. It was a nice little set up on the patio. There was a wide variety of food on the table. He looked around the backyard and noticed a small amount of changes but it was still look the same. He had memories of him and Mercedes coming back here to do their homework and chill out by the pool. He spotted Mercedes' dad over talking to her mom, and he cleared his throat repeatedly, feeling his mouth go dry.

Mercedes gave him a comforting squeeze as they walked over to her parents, "Hey dad."

"Hello baby." David said as he pulled the woman into a hug, kissing the side of her head. He glanced at Sam, his lips going into a straight line as he looked at the man, "Samuel."

"Mr. Jones."

Diane smiled at Sam before nudging her husband in the side, hearing him groan, she gave him a look before walking away.

"I would like to speak to you after dinner."

Sam nodded immediately, "Yes sir."

Mercedes tried to get a read on her dad's face but was coming up blank. She watched him turn away and she looked at Sam with a smile, "Let's get something to eat."

* * *

Surprisingly, dinner with on without a hitch. The conversations flowed perfectly much to Sam's surprise. It was like a reintroduce and get to know everyone again, which he didn't mind. And by the way, the food was amazing. He had never had so many tacos in different ways, he definitely felt like a kid in the candy store. Now, he was sitting in David's study, running his hands nervously against his pants. Sam has never been nervous around anyone but it was just something about this man that made him squirm every since he was a kid.

David leaned back in his chair. Although it was a matured man in front of him, he couldn't help but see that eighteen year boy who ruined his daughter's life. A few minutes passed by without a word being said, just a lot of intense staring, "I'm not going to beat around the bush, I don't like you. I don't even like Dru or Liam, Cassie's boyfriend. But you, I never have and it's not the reason you think. There's no doubt you came into my daughter's life and made her happy but I knew better. Any father would tell you this, ask yours. I wanted to protect her from all the hurt in the world and her heart became vulnerable when you stepped in. I knew you were going to hurt her. Intentionally? At the time, yes but after these past few months, I realized that you would've never did her like that." He leaned up and sighed, "I hate you Sam Evans, any father would when you get their seventeen year old daughter pregnant. But my hate is different now. I hate you because I can't find a single reason not to have respect for you."

Sam mouth fell slightly open, eyes going wide as began to stutter, "W-What?"

"You're a good man from what I can tell. You've done a lot of maturing for the past three years." He pointed to his bracelet, "You have my respect for it, it's hard. Not only do you have my respect for that, it's because I see how happy my granddaughter is when you're mention. She brights up when she talks non-stop about how amazing you are. That makes me happy that you're in her life..and I guess Mercedes' too." David sighed as he stood up, walking around his desk, "And knowing the man I think you are, you propose to my daughter already. I would've love for you to ask me first but I understand why you did so."

"I'm sorry sir." Sam said as he stood up as well, "I was raised better than that but I felt like we've wasted enough time apart, I just want to be with her. I apologize if you felt disrespected, that wasn't my intention. I do value your blessing but I'm going to be honest, if you say no, I'm still going to marry her because she is the love of my life and I'm not letting her get away from me again."

David just stared at him. Yep, he still didn't like this kid. He was too much like himself. Strong minded and rode hard for the ones he loved, "Treat my girls right." That was all he said as he held out his hand for him to shake, when he did, he walked passed him and out the door.

Sam released a breath he didn't realize he was holding, placing his hands on his neck, he muttered to himself as he walked out as well, "I did not expect that."

Danielle picked up one of the leftover shrimp on her aunt's plate, missing the swat of Cassie's hand before dropping it in her mouth. She smiled as she walked over to her dad when he came back out and hugged him, laying her head down on his chest, "I love you, dad."

Sam smiled as he hugged her back tightly, kissing her forehead, "I love you too, sweet pea."

Mercedes leaned against the counter and smiled as she watched their interaction through the kitchen window, hearing someone come beside, she turned to the side to see her mom.

"You can stop trying to hide your ring from your father, he knows." Diane said with a smile as she bumped shoulders with her, hearing her chuckle, she glanced into the direction she was looking in and smiled at two embraced, "The love they have for each other is beautiful."

"It is." Mercedes smiled as she looked at them once again, "I'm one lucky woman." She said as she laid her head on her mom's shoulder when she hugged her. She was truly happy that her family was coming together. This was all she ever wanted and it felt like a dream come true.

* * *

 **A/N. Did you enjoy it? Let me start by saying that school starts back for me Monday, which means updates are going to be slower but I'm still going to be here! On to the story, Danielle broke down when she found about her parents engagement and with reason. She accidentally got to meet her aunt and uncle. She likes them and Mercedes is right that those three will get along just well. Do you think it's going to go this smooth when she meets the other part of the Evans' family? Oh, I cackled all the way through the Sander situation, it is hilarious but we're going to dive more into why he chose that job. Sam having dinner with the Jones'. That moment he had with Jazzy made him emotional and you guys know why. What do you think of what Mr. Jones had to say to him? The next update we will be sitting down with the Evans family and it will be interesting!**


	25. Family Meet-Ups Pt 2

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **GARRETT TUCKER-SAM CLAFLIN**

* * *

Danielle sat her book bag on the floor once she entered her father's home. She had asked him if she could come by after her class to sit down and talk with him some, "Dad?" She called out as she placed her phone into her romper pocket, walking through the living room, searching for him.

"Yeah, I understand..mhm, best behavior, you got it." Sam rolled his eyes as he walked through the hallway, listening to Summer go on and on. He honestly got pissed off in a span of two minutes when she called and told him that their mom had invited Saint to dinner tomorrow.

Summer sighed as she moved her scrolled down her tablet, making a few changes to the website, "I wanted to give you guys a heads up."

"I just want to know why in the fu-reak.." He changed his words when he saw Danielle sitting in the living room, "I'll call you later Summer." He hung up his phone and gave her a smile, "Hey, I thought you had to wait until mom got out of surgery. She said you left your keys at home."

"Well.." She started with a guilty smile as she got up and gave him a hug, standing back, "Don't tell mom but when I was eight, Aunt Cassie taught me how to pick a lock."

"Yeah, I'm definitely not telling her that." Sam chuckled as he sat down, putting his phone in his pocket, "So what's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow." She said slowly before taking a deep breath, "I just want to know if your brother is going to be there."

"Unfortunately, Summer just confirmed that my mom invited him. She said it would confused the kids to why he couldn't suddenly come."

"With all due respect, it's a bunch bs." Danielle said angrily as she sat up, "I don't know them at all but I'm not going to sit there and pretend to like someone who kept us apart."

"I don't expect you too, Dani."

"And I understand everyone don't want him to be frown upon by his kids but dammit dad." She said as she felt tears slide down her cheeks, "I need to be selfish for once in my life and call him out for everything he did."

Sam felt his heart literally break as he watched her cry in front of him. That the last thing he wanted her to do. He leaned over and wrapped her into a hug, kissing the side of her forehead, "We can do this some other time. You don't have to face them right now."

"No, I need to because if I don't do it tomorrow, I may never will." She said honestly as she pulled back to look at him, wiping her face, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't come over here just to break down again."

"Don't apologize." Sam said softly as he helped her dry her face up, "I understand your feelings and I know this is not going to be easy for you but I want you to know that me and your mom are going to be right there by your side."

Danielle nodded as she played with the ends of her shirt, sniffling before her eyes met his again, "I love you."

"I love you too." Sam smiled as he leaned over and gave her another hug, standing up when he was finish, "Now how about I make us something to eat. I actually can since your mom helps me with my grocery shopping."

"Good because that's one thing guys should never do alone." She snickered as she followed him into the kitchen, taking a seat on the bar stool. She crossed her arms over her chest and giggled when he rolled his eyes, "It's the truth and you know it."

Sam waved her off as he opened the refrigerator, trying to figure out what he could make for them.

"You know dad, I've been thinking and I'm pretty sure you have been too." Danielle started as she played with the placemats, watching him closely, "You should ask mom to move in with you, that is if you want her too."

"I do, I'm just waiting for the right time to ask." He said as he turned back to look at her, "You know how she is sometimes."

"Yeah." Danielle chuckled as she picked up an orange from the bowl, raising a brow as she began to peel, "But I think you two are way pass that stage where she questions everything."

Sam thought about what she said and nodded. She was right. They were way passed the indecisive stage. Now was the time for them to just be together fully and he had no problem with it. Tossing the tomato in his hand, he gave her a smile, "Up for some meatball subs?"

"Yes." She smiled as she watched him turn back to the refrigerator. She placed an orange slice in her mouth and sat back in the chair deep in thought. A lot was going to transpire in these forty-eight hours and she was praying that she got through it.

* * *

Mercedes held Dani's hand as they followed behind Sam up the steps. The day has come from her daughter to meet the other side of her family. Honestly, she didn't know how this was going to go but hopefully, it will go well enough for Dani.

Sam placed his hand on the doorknob, turning around the look at them with a small smile, "Ready?"

Dani looked at them before swallowing the lump in her throat, nodding slowly. She watched as he opened the door up with his key, keeping a tight grip on her mom's hand as they followed behind him. When they entered, she couldn't help but take in the pictures on the wall. A smile graced her lips when she found a few of her dad but one in the corner definitely caught her eye, "Oh my god, you two look the same."

Mercedes looked over her shoulder to see which one she was talking about and she smiled as well. It was the picture that Mr. Evans had took of them on the field after Sam won his baseball tournament in ninth grade.

"That was one of the best nights of my life and not because we won." Sam said as he stood beside Mercedes, looking down at them both, "It was because the girl I've been pinning after and asking out everyday of the week all year, finally agreed."

"And boy, you were desperate. I thought for sure Mercedes was going to file a restraining on you." A voice said from behind them, turning around, they found a smirking Dwight.

Sam rolled his eyes at him, mumbling, "I was not stalking her dad."

"Sure you weren't son." Dwight gave him a knowing look, earning a giggle to escape from Mercedes' mouth.

Danielle laughed quietly before her eyes met the older man's. She could instantly tell the similarities between him and her dad.

"And you must be Danielle." Dwight said with a smile as he stepped forward, "Is it okay for a hug?"

"Of course." She said sweetly as she gave him a smile before wrapping her arms around him, "It's nice to meet you."

"Same here darling." He said before looking over at Mercedes, giving the woman one as well, "She looks just like you, thank God."

"You know what dad, I'm really glad my self esteem is high and I know I'm handsome as hell." Sam said with a smirk before tapping the older man's shoulder, causing him to wrap his arm around his neck.

"I'm just yanking your chain, son." He laughed as he messed up his hair before letting go.

"I knew I heard your voices." Summer said as she came in, giving her a brother a hug before going to do the same to Mercedes and Danielle.

Danielle smiled as she hugged her back, looking at her mom, she grabbed her hand again before her grandfather spoke up.

"Everyone's out back, y'all can meet us there."

"We'll be out in a second dad." Sam gave the older man a smile before patting his back, watching him and Summer go towards the living room. He turned back to them, "At any point you want to leave, just let me know okay?"

Mercedes nodded as she looked over at their daughter, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

"Okay." Dani said as she took a deep breath, nodding. They followed behind him once again, seeing them outside talking. Coming through the door, she saw an older version of Summer come up to her with a smile on her face.

"Dani, this is my older sister Shelby." Sam said as he stepped to the side, feeling someone tackle him from behind, he chuckled when he saw the small face peep around, "Hey bud."

"Hey Uncle Sam." Elijah smiled before his eyes went over to Mercedes and Danielle, "Are they your wives?"

Mercedes giggled as the young boy, causing Danielle to do the same.

"No buddy." Sam said with a snort as he picked him up, gesturing his head to Dani, "That's my daughter Danielle and her mom, Mercedes..who is going to be my wife one day."

"Oh." Elijah said with a smile before turning back to the women, blushing deeply, "They're super pretty, even though they have cooties."

"You're so adorable." Mercedes said with a smile as she leaned forward and pinched his cheeks.

"Take your eyes off my fiancée, little Casanova." Sam joked as he sat the little blushing boy to his feet, watching as he laughed and went back to his seat.

Danielle smiled at him before her eyes went back to Shelby. She noticed the tension earlier between her and her dad but chose to ignore it, "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." She said with a smile as she tucked her hair back, gesturing to her husband, "That my husband Garret and my step-son, Elijah."

"Nice to meet you." Garret said as he flashed them a smile, standing up to shake both of their hands.

"You too." Mercedes smiled, her eyes moving farther down the table.

"Dr. Jones, it's good to see you again." Alex said as he came up and hugged the older woman.

"Please call me Mercedes." She said as she hugged him back, scanning his face, "How are you?"

"I'm feeling much better."

Mercedes smiled before stepping aside, gesturing to Dani, "This is our daughter Danielle and Dani, these are your cousins, Alex and Timothy."

Dani was taken aback when they hugged her but it quickly went away as she hugged them back. She was overwhelmed with emotions but it was definitely a wonderful feeling to meet her cousins for the first time.

Sam bit the inside of his cheek as he turned to Mercedes, seeing the smile on her face, he bumped his shoulder with hers.

"Alright you two, let her go so she can sit down and eat." Dwight said, looking over to his wife, oldest son and Roxy through the kitchen window, he shook his head, "I hope you're not a vegetarian Danielle because sweetheart, everything on this table has meat in it."

Danielle laughed as she took a seat beside Summer, beaming at the older man, "Far from it. Everything looks delicious."

Mercedes gasped when she spotted something, hitting Sam's shoulder repeatedly, "He made it."

"Always." Sam laughed at the excited expression on her face, glancing over at his dad, "Dad, you did it on purpose too. You sat it right in front of her."

Danielle looked on confusedly when she noticed the two starting to laugh, looking at the dish, "What is it?"

"The best slow-cooked pulled pork smothered in homemade pineapple bourbon barbecue sauce." Mercedes beamed as she turned to her daughter, "Babe, you know I wouldn't lie to you ever so by me saying this, I mean it. Your grandfather makes the best, I mean the absolute best pulled pork I've ever tasted."

Dwight chuckled as he picked up his cup, taking a sip before speaking again, "I always made it when Mercedes came over. She loves it so much."

"I know we are suppose to wait for grace but y'all cut me some slack. I haven't had any in twenty years." Mercedes took her fork and placed some on her plate, sticking a forkful in her mouth, moaning as she closed her eyes, "Oh my god."

Sander snorted as he placed his hand over his mouth, throwing his head back in laughter, "I can't take her."

Sam laughed, shaking his head as he watched her take another forkful and put it to Dani's mouth. His eyes flickered to the door and instantly rolled them when he saw who was coming out.

Danielle swallowed the contents, nodding in agreement, "That's really good."

Mary stepped outside, clearing her throat, greeting them with a smile, "Sam, Mercedes." Her eyes went to Dani and she let out a quiet gasp, "Wow, you're so beautiful."

"Thank you." Danielle said as she stood up, moving her hair behind her ears, she stared at the older woman, "I'm guessing your my grandmother."

"I am."

"I can tell. You have those same gentle, caring eyes my dad has." She smiled a bit, seeing the couple behind her but focused on her, "It's really nice to finally meet you."

Mary felt herself getting emotional as she leaned forward and gave her a hug, "Same here sweetheart."

Mercedes felt Sam tense up beside her and she grabbed his hand underneath the table, rubbing her thumb across his hand.

Mary let go of the girl, wiping the tear from her face. She placed a gentle squeeze on Sam's shoulder before heading over to sit by her husband.

Roxy sat down, looking at the girl in front of her. She gave her a small smile, extending her hand out, "Hi, I'm Roxy. Saint's wife, Alex and Timothy's mom."

Danielle gave her a strained smile as she shook her hand, bringing it back quickly. She was taught never to be disrespectful but it was going to be hard not to tonight. She glanced over at the man sitting beside and she couldn't help but feel her jaw clenched. Taking a calming breath, she sat back down beside her mom and put the cup to her mouth.

Sander noticed the tension and he decided to cut it, "Alright y'all, lets pray and eat."

Summer nodded as she took ahold of Dani's hand, sending her a warm smile before grabbing her dad's.

"Bowed heads and closed eyes." Dwight waited for everyone before doing the same, "Dear Lord, we come to you today we humbled hearts. Thank you for the delicious food that is on the table and for blessing us this year. We have so much to be thankful about and we seriously can't thank you enough. In Jesus name, Amen."

"Amen."

Danielle sat back in her seat and crossed her legs, looking down at her mom and dad. She could tell that he was pissed and trying to keep his anger at bay and honestly, she was doing the same.

Sam grabbed Mercedes' plate and began fixing her some food, smirking when she hit his thigh.

"So Mercedes, what made you want to become a doctor?" Garret asked as he grabbed Elijah two hotdogs and put them on his plate.

"I have always had an urge to help people. When I was younger, I had a room full of stuffed animals and I would always pretend that they were sick just so I could do my best to take care of them." She chuckled, causing everyone to do the same, "Really, I just love being able to help and make people feel better."

Sam bumped shoulders with her, placing the plate down, he dropped a kiss to her cheek, "And she's amazing at it too."

"I'm a living testimony of it."

Danielle smiled over at Alex before turning to her mom, wrapping her arm around her to give her a small hug. She pulled back and went to fix her food, listening to Summer explain how her dad cooked everything. So far, so good..but everyone knew it wasn't going to stay like that.

* * *

Surprisingly, dinner wasn't as awkward as they expected. Most of the time was spent with everyone getting to know Dani and vice versa. Everyone enjoyed the meal and now they were clearing the table and letting the kids go get changed so they could get in the pool.

Alex picked up the last plate and headed to the door, stopping mid-step when he thought of something, "One last question Dani."

"Of course." She turned to the teen and smiled. She had found out she had a lot in common with him despite their age differences.

"Are you a Marvel or DC fan? And who's your favorite hero?"

"Marvel." Hearing her dad groan, she chuckled as she leaned over and pushed his shoulder before turning back to the teen, "Jessica Jones is my favorite."

"Not bad, not bad at all." Alex said with a nod as he disappeared into the house, heading upstairs to change into his swimwear.

"I can't believe you're a Marvel fan." Sam said in utter disbelief, hearing Mercedes snort, he glared at her, "This is your fault."

"How is this my fault?" She asked through her giggles. When he didn't answer her, she just laughed louder, shaking her head at his silliness.

Mary smiled at the couple before crossing her arms, glancing down at Saint, who hadn't said a word throughout the entire dinner. Her thoughts were broken up when Danielle's sweet voice broke the silence.

"I just want to thank you again for having me and my mom over. Dinner was amazing and it's been nice getting to know all of you, which should've been years ago but hey, stuff happens, am I right?" She said with a tight smile on her face, ignoring the hit to her thigh her mom gave her.

"Well deserved shade." Sander muttered underneath his breath. Yep, this was about to turn really bad.

Roxy bit down on her bottom lip, sighing at the girl's statement. Looking over at her husband, she saw him tighten the grip on his beer bottle and bring it to his mouth, "Danielle, can we just put the past behind us. Saint is really sorry about what he did."

"Are you his mouthpiece for tonight?" Danielle sat up in her seat, cocking her head to side slightly, "And no, we can't put anything in the past because your husband ruined lives. I don't know how in world you think that is something we can get over."

"Damn." Summer said in shocked, not expecting for her to snap off like she just did. She was definitely Sam's child.

"Danielle." Mercedes started but stopped when Sam grabbed her hand, eyes moving to his, she watched him shake his head.

"I'm surprised I made it this far into being here without saying anything." She said as her eyes flickered to her grandparents, "And I apologize for disrespecting your home but I will not let this slide. I spent majority of my life without my father." Her eyes went back to Saint, "You don't know how that feels. Growing up thinking that he didn't love me enough to stick around, having kids tease me in school because of it but that's not even the worse part. I had to listen to adults constantly belittle my mother, saying that she was nothing but another statistic, that she would never finish getting her education and the only job that she was ever going to get was somewhere at a fast food restaurant." She let out a humorless laugh, feeling her eyes starting to water up, "It's an amazing to know how wrong they all were. My mom was eighteen with a newborn baby. She raised me on her own, has a high school diploma, a college degree, and two different doctorates. She turned out pretty damn great if you ask me." She glared at Saint and Roxy, not realizing the nerves she was hitting right now, "So no, we can't put this in the past and pretend like nothing happened. I'm not leaving here until I know why you decided to ruin my life, because I can't get that part back and you're going to give me an explanation."

"Like I told your dad, I was only looking out for him at the time." He said as he stared at her, seeing the angry scowl on her face only reminded him of her father. His eyes flickered to Mercedes then back to her, "I am sorry for what I did, and seeing you now, I do regret it but I didn't at the time."

Dwight ran his fingers across his forehead, taking a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair. No matter how hard his oldest try to spin this, it wasn't going to change what he did.

"That's BS and you know it." Danielle shook her head before standing up, "It's obvious that your jealous of your own brother. And it's obvious that at one point, you were in love with my mom." She heard the shocked gasps but decided to ignore it, her eyes never leaving his, "You've been stealing glances at her this whole dinner. I'm not saying you don't love your wife but it's clear you still have some one sided feelings."

"Alright, that's enough Danielle." Mercedes said as she stood up, grabbing her arm, she gave Dwight and Mary a small smile, "Thank you for dinner, it was lovely but it's time for us to go." She needed to get her out of here because one thing she did get from Sam was one hell of a bad temper.

"You were in love with her?" Roxy asked Saint in disbelief, seeing that he didn't answer. She felt her eyes getting misty as she sat there. It was like she didn't even know who he was anymore.

Garret's eyes were wide at everything that was going on. He really didn't know much about the situation at first but now, he was wishing he didn't because this was seriously messed up.

"Listen, y'all are not about to fight again." Sander called out to his brother, going over to Sam when he saw him stand up, he grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door, "And trust me, Saint you deserve it but this time, I don't think Sam is going to stop."

Sam glared at his older brother before walking away, stepping inside the house, his body collided with Alex, grabbing his shoulders to keep him from falling, "Sorry."

"It's okay." His blue eyes went to his, seeing the frown on his face confused him, "Are y'all about to leave already?"

"Yeah bud, I just remembered that I forgot to feed Dasher before I left home."

Alex raised a brow as he crossed his arms, "You're lying Uncle Sam. I know because every time you do, the corner of your mouth twitches." He scanned his face before looking behind out the screen door, letting out a defeated sigh, "My dad is the one who kept y'all apart, isn't he?"

Sam wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led the boy to the other room, "Alex, he's your father, the last thing I want you to think I'm doing is trying to turn you against him. I didn't want to give you reason to not like your dad."

"Hard not to now."

"This is exactly why I didn't want you to find out." Sam sighed as ran his hands down his face, "Just don't tell your brother, okay?"

"I won't." He said quietly as he stared at him, "I'm really sorry this happened."

"It's not your fault, kiddo." Sam gave him a reassuring smile before bringing him in for a hug, "I'll see you soon, I promise." When he felt him nod, he pulled back and ruffled his hair before moving to the side, "Now go have fun and make sure you splash water on your parents for me."

Alex laughed at him as he nodded, "I will."

Sam smiled as he patted his back before walking out, heading to the front door, he opened it and found Mercedes sitting on the steps. He went down and took a seat beside her, "Hey."

Mercedes turned her head and gave him a soft smile, laying her head down on his shoulder, "Hey."

"Where's Dani?"

"Taking a much needed cool off walk."

"I didn't realize she could be really straightforward and get so pissed."

"She's a carbon copy of you Sam. Sometimes you both can handle your temper well, sometimes you can't. Today was one of those days were you did and she didn't." Mercedes lifted her head and looked at him, "She's like a backwards sour patch kid, sweet but turn sour real quick."

Sam snickered as he bent down and kissed her, "Yeah, she did get that from me."

"Mhm." Mercedes nodded knowingly, putting her head back on his shoulder and grabbing his hand, "Just so you know, I never knew that your brother felt that way."

"Me neither and if I would've known, I would have punched his face in a lot sooner." He said honestly as he played with her fingers, hearing footsteps, he looked up and spotted their daughter.

"Are you calm?" Mercedes asked as she stared at her, seeing that her red-face had turned back to its normal color.

Danielle nodded as she puffed out her cheeks, moving her hair back into a ponytail, "I'm fine, I'm just ready to go home."

"Alright." Sam said as he watched Mercedes get up. He turned his head when he saw heard the front door opening, seeing his dad, "We're going to head out."

Dwight nodded understandably as he walked out, looking towards Danielle, he opened his mouth but she beat him to it.

"I am really sorry for disrespecting your home."

Dwight waved her off as he stepped down the steps, "I understand your anger, it's okay. Mary and I would love for you to come back one day when it's just us one day."

"I would like that." Danielle said with a smile as she leaned forward and hugged him, letting go. She turned around and headed to the truck, leaving her parents alone to talk with him.

"Dad, let mom know that her trying to reconcile us is never going to happen. I meant it when I said I'm done with him. I don't want to be around him and I definitely don't want my family around him."

"I know son, believe me." Dwight placed a hand on his shoulder, turning to Mercedes, he gave the woman a caring smile, "You know Ms. Jones, I am truly proud of you and I sincerely can't thank you enough for raising my granddaughter up to be the woman she is today."

"Thank you Mr. Eva-Dwight." She chuckled when he gave her a look, "She's really an amazing kid."

Dwight gave her a hug before doing the same to Sam, "Call me later, alright?"

"Okay." Sam said as he watched him go back into the house. Sighing, he turned and grabbed Mercedes hand, kissing her forehead as he led them down the steps and to his truck. Today was definitely how he imagine it to turn out to be but he definitely wasn't expecting to see the side of his daughter he saw earlier.


	26. The Evolution Of Saint

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **TIME FRAMES: 23 YEARS AGO & PRESENT. **

**ENJOY :)**

* * *

 _Saint grunted out for what felt the hundredth time as he read over the book once again. He did not understand a single word it was saying and he knew for sure he was going to fail his test tomorrow. Hearing footsteps coming towards him, he looked up and found his brother and Mercedes walking in holding hands._

 _"What's up with all the grunting?" Sam asked as he let Mercedes hand go, going over to the refrigerator._

 _"I have a Human Anatomy and Physiology test tomorrow and I literally can't remember any of this stuff."_

 _Mercedes took a seat on the stool, looking over at Saint with a smile, "I can help you."_

 _"I don't think you can. I'm a senior and you're a sophomore. This is a little advanced for you."_

 _Sam snorted when he saw Mercedes roll her eyes and pursed her lips, putting the ingredients down for a sandwich on the counter, "Bro, she really can help you. Cedes is beyond intelligent man. Just so you know, she's the only person in our sophomore class taking AP courses."_

 _Mercedes raised a perfectly arched brow, "Plus it's right up my alley because I want to be a doctor. And besides, I took this class last year and got an A." She shrugged as she slid off the stool, "But since you think it's too advanced for me, I'm sure you will find a way to remember on your own."_

 _"Wait, I'm sorry." Saint sighed with a pout, giving her a sad look, "Can you please help me? I can't afford to flunk this test. I'll give you anything you want."_

 _"Free ice cream for a year from your job?" Mercedes asked with a bright smile as she sat back beside him, seeing him nod, she grabbed the book and one of his highlighters, "Let's get to it then."_

 _Saint opened up his notebook and picked up his pen so he could jolt down some notes. For the next two hours, somehow Mercedes had managed to instill a semester worth of information in his brain. It was so amazing to see the different techniques she used to help her remember things._

 _The next day, he was walking out down the hallway with his paper clutched in his hand, in search for the girl. Finding her at her locker, he came behind and picked her up, hearing the yelp escape her mouth as he swung her around, "You are amazing."_

 _"Put me down." She laughed when he did as she said, turning around, she smiled as she pushed her glasses up her face, "I take it you passed."_

 _"Yes ma'am, ninety percent." Saint smiled as he handed her the paper, seeing her look over it, he leaned forward and gave her a big hug, "Thank you so much."_

 _"Not bad for an underclassmen, aye?"_

 _"Not bad at all." Saint pulled back and stared at her, "You can personally come pick up your ice cream card after school if you want."_

 _"I most definitely will." Mercedes said with a blinding smile as she picked up her book bag from the ground and closed her locker, patting the older's shoulder before walking away, "See you later."_

 _"Bye." He said with a small smirk before walking away. He knew for sure she was going to be an amazing doctor. Mercedes Jones was a God sent and his brother was lucky to have her in his life._

* * *

 _Saint smiled at the people as he moved through the crowd, putting the beer bottle to his lips as he made his way to the kitchen for a refill. Tonight, they decided to have a after party at Vance's house to celebrate their win._

 _Charles scanned the room in search for his little sister. He was for real taken aback when she told him that she was coming tonight. One, his little sister was not the party type of girl. Two, he was legit worried about what she had on and three, he didn't want to beat up any assholes tonight for trying to talk to her._

 _"Relax, I'm not wearing anything skanky." Mercedes called out, watching him turn around with a smile on her face, "I know that's what you were worrying about."_

 _Charles let out a sigh of relief, smiling, "You're my little sister and I want to protect you."_

 _Mercedes placed her hands on his shoulders, kissing his cheek, "I'm not a baby anymore, I can take care of myself."_

 _Charles took a deep breath, seeing Sam coming back with two cups, "Fine." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, glaring at the boy. He still didn't like the fact that his fifteen year old sister was dating. He cleared his throat and yelled out over the music, "Underclassmen cup check."_

 _Hearing the groans run out, Mercedes rolled her eyes at her brother before letting go, walking over to an irritated Sam._

 _"It's just soda, Charles."_

 _"I'll be the judge of that." Charles said as he snatched the cups from the blonde's hands, sniffing it. Once he didn't detect any alcohol, he handed them back._

 _Saint opened up his third beer bottle when he heard Charles yelling. He chuckled at the boy before going over to two freshmen, who were sitting on the counter and checking their cups. It was something that the upperclassmen did when they threw parties. Although in actuality none of them was old enough to drink, they didn't want anyone under seventeen doing it. That was the number one rule. After he checked the two blushing girls cups, he gave them a nod before stepping out of the kitchen, hearing her voice almost immediately. He cursed underneath his breath as he turned and walked into the other direction. It's been a couple of weeks since Mercedes helped him with his studying and honestly, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He knew that it was so, so wrong but he couldn't help it. Somehow he had developed a crush on his brother's girlfriend. It was just something about her that intrigued and pulled him in. The past couple of weeks that she has been over at their house with Sam, he had learned so much about her and he clearly saw why his brother was so in love with the girl._

 _"Saint." Mercedes called out once she caught up with the older Evans. Seeing him turn around, she gave him a smile, "I just wanted to say congrats on the win. I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier."_

 _"Thank you." He said as he stared at her. She looked so different without her glasses and he didn't think she could get any beautiful than she already was. Sporting denim overall shorts with a floral crop top, converses and her curly hair was down, "You look beautiful tonight" He closed his eyes, cursing underneath his breath. Did that really just come out of his mouth?_

 _"Oh..um, thanks Saint." She chuckled lightly as she tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling someone come behind her, she turned to the side and smiled when she saw Sam._

 _"Are you hitting on my girlfriend, bro?" Sam sent him a teasing glare before wrapping his arm around her._

 _"No, doofus." Saint laughed it off, punching him in his shoulder as he 'jokingly' spoke, "But when she gets sick of you, I'll be waiting."_

 _Mercedes snorted when he winked at her, looking at Sam with a smile, "No, you're wrong. Sammy here is not bad at all, he's just right for me."_

 _Sam smiled down at her, feeling his cheeks warming up, "And you're just right for me, that's exactly why I didn't give up on asking you out." Hearing a slow song come on, he grabbed her hand, "Dance with me."_

 _"Of course. See you later, Saint." Mercedes called over her shoulder, giggling when Sam pulled her to the middle of the room._

 _Saint sighed as he turned back around, downing the rest of the beer from the bottle. He then moved back towards the kitchen and went to the corner to get another one._

 _About two hours later, Shelby held onto her brother's waist to keep him steady as she opened up her car door. She watched him stumble in and she rolled her eyes, leaning over him so that she could but his seatbelt on. Once she was done, she closed the door and got in on the other side, "God Saint, how are you going to get pass mom and dad when you done went and got pissy drunk?"_

 _"I-I'm not drunk.." He said as he closed his eyes, humming a little tune as she started up car, "You should hook me up with one of your friends..maybe Rina, or Shawna or Daisy."_

 _"Um no, not happening." Shelby laughed at him as she shook her head, pressing her foot on the gas._

 _"I should start a list of all the hot girls in school." He said as he laughed, a goofy smile appearing as he whispered, "And you know who would be number one?"_

 _"Me."_

 _"No, gross." His mouth twitched up before turning to her, opening his eyes, "Mercedes."_

 _"Sam's Mercedes?" Shelby asked as she glanced over at her brother, seeing him nod immediately, "You think she hot?"_

 _Saint side eyed her in disgust, "You don't?"_

 _"No, that's not what I meant. She's very pretty, I just didn't think that you even looked at her long enough to say that."_

 _"That's stupid Shelby..I look at her all the time." He smiled as he leaned back in the seat, "Her big brown eyes, smooth skin and very big lips are some of things that makes her beautiful."_

 _"Oh my god.." She said as she stopped at the red light, giving him an accusing look, "You have a crush on her."_

 _"What, no." Saint sat up and glared at her, "Just because I said she's hot, doesn't mean I have a crush on her. She's Sam girlfriend."_

 _"That's right. It would be pretty douchey if you had a crush on her." Shelby eyed him again before turning back to the front, "And plus, you'll be eighteen next week, she's fifteen. She's a baby."_

 _"I said I don't like her Shelby, damn. I can call a girl beautiful without liking her like that."_

 _"Okay, okay." Shelby said as she watched him turn back around, sighing. She definitely needed to get him home so he could sleep the alcohol off._

* * *

Roxy toyed with the wedding ring on her finger as she sat on the couch, staring at the wall as the rain sounded outside. It's been a crazy twenty fours hours and she was honestly at a lost. Last night did not turn out they way she expected. She had so many questions and most of them were for her husband. She felt like she didn't even know the person she married. Seeing him come in, she watched as he went and sat down on the couch in front of her, "Tell me everything, starting with the truth on why you tore a family apart."

Saint ran his hand through his hair, taking a deep breath as he looked down at the ground, "I ran with the 'I was just looking out for my brother' excuse long enough. At first I was but honestly, I was jealous. Danielle was right." He said as he looked at her, "I did have feelings for Mercedes, for a very long time but I knew that they were one sided and she would never be mine. I guess I lost it knowing that."

"Do you still have feelings for her?" Roxy asked, feeling tears starting to fill in her eyes as he heart began to beat rapidly in her chest.

"No, of course not. I love you and only you." He said softy, hating that he was making her cry, "The only reason I was looking at her like that last night is because I was feeling guilty. Then when Danielle basically ripped me a new one, my guilt only deepen when I saw how much hurt I caused all of them."

"Why didn't you tell him Saint? You had countless numbers of times to tell him the truth."

"Too stubborn..afraid that he was going to hate me and I was going to lose my brother." He laughed a bitter, humorless laugh, "I lost him anyways and I can't be mad because I did this to myself."

Roxy shook her head disappointedly as she wiped her tears, "Sam had to know something was wrong, he had too. To think the love of his life just didn't want to be with him anymore, he doesn't seem like a person to let that slide."

"He didn't for awhile. He actually went to California numerous of times to look for her. She got into Stanford so he went there thinking that's where she was but she wasn't. He tried hunting her down through social media but came up empty. He literally contacted everyone of her family and friends but they either blocked all his calls, told him they didn't know where she was and hung up the phone. Her sister even said she moved to Europe with her new boyfriend. He thought it was all bullshit so he hired a private investigator. Once he couldn't find anything, he just gave up and figured that they were really done and over with."

"I know I asked Danielle to put this in the past but I didn't know everything and now that I do.." Roxy ran her hands through her hair, staring at him as she shook her head, "Saint, I don't think you understand the severity of what you did. You literally had a girl grow up without her father, Mercedes had to do everything on her own and Sam went down a terrible path and spiraled out of control. This is all your fault. And for years, you've been going around like everything is all good when it's not." She stood up from the couch, feeling tears slide down face, "You don't deserve to have Sam in your life and if I was him, I would never forgive you. I don't even think I can forgive you for lying to me about it." She twirled her ring before pulling it off, "I made a commitment. For better or worse and I'm going to honor it. I love you, you are my husband and my best friend but right now, I feel like we need some time apart."

Saint felt like the wind was knocked out his chest when she said that. Watching her sit the ring on the table and walk out made him feel like his world was crashing down. He already lost his brother, he didn't want to lose his wife. He screwed up big time with everything and he knew there was nothing he could do to fix it.

* * *

 **A/N. Pretty deep huh? Let me know your thoughts. And before anyone ask, yes, there is a very important person involved in this story who made sure Mercedes stayed off the grid from Sam and why her family and friends didn't confront him at all besides Mercedes asking them not to. You'll be meeting that person really soon. ;)**


	27. The Breaking Point

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Christopher Middleton-Scott Shilstone**

 **Reece Middleton-Vanessa Hudgens**

* * *

Mercedes twirled on the stool, keeping a smile on her face as she listened to one of the patient rant off. She chuckled quietly as she closed the chart up and put it on the counter. Turning back around, she crossed her legs and placed her folded hands on top of her knees, "Are you going to let me speak now?"

The woman huffed and murmured a quiet yes as she folded her arms across her chest.

"As your doctor, I'm not giving you permission to leave this hospital until your blood pressure goes down. Quiet frankly, I don't give a damn what your bosses have to say. If they fire you because you're taking care of your health, they will be having a huge lawsuit on their hands." Mercedes stood up from the stool, seeing the nurse come back in, "I'm sure your husband agrees with me."

"Wholeheartedly."

"Fine."

Mercedes gave a gentle smile before grabbing her chart, "I'll be back later to check on you." Hearing her grunt, she shook her head before heading out the room and going straight to the counter. Handing the chart the nurse, she was just about to ask for a pen until she felt someone grab her from behind, "Hey Sam." She turned around and gave him a smirk once she saw the look on his face, "Your cologne was a dead giveaway."

Sam rolled his eyes as he muttered underneath breath. Looking down at her, he gave her a smile before pressing a kiss to her lips, "Can I steal you away for a moment?"

"I don't know. I kind of have a meeting with my boyfriend in thirty minutes." She bit the inside of her cheek to keep her laughter in when she saw the frown starting to creep on his face, "But fiancé trumps boyfriend any day so.."

Sam was not amused by her antics. He away from her and gave a glare before walking off.

"Oh my god, I'm kidding." Mercedes chuckled as she folded her arms across her chest as she followed behind him, "Sam." Hearing him grunt, she smiled as she caught up, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his back as they came to a stop, "You're such a jealous monster." She let go and went to stand in front of him, seeing that frown still there, she giggled as she leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek, wrapping him into a hug, "On a serious note, you can steal me for as long as you want. I'm on my lunch break."

"Good because I already brought like a bunch of food and set it up in your office. Plus, we need to talk about some things." He said with a smile as he kissed her again before hugging her.

Mercedes smiled up at him before she felt her phone vibrating. Unwrapping her arms from around him, she pulled it from her pocket and saw a text from Santana, eyebrows twitching up in confusion when she read it.

 _You have two visitors up front._

"What's wrong?"

"San texted and said I have someone here to see me." Mercedes said as she locked up her phone and put it in her pocket. She took ahold of Sam's hand and pressed a kiss to it, "Come on."

Sam nodded as he walked beside her and down the hallway, making it back to the front to where they were at first. Hearing her gasp, he looked down at her confusedly before following her line of sight.

"Mercedes Jones, I've missed you." The man said as he opened his arms for her.

Mercedes squealed as she let go of Sam's hand and went to him, attacking the unknown man into a big hug, causing him to spin her around, "Oh my god."

Sam watched on curiously as he folded his arms, the woman beside him giggled as she placed hers hands over her mouth. He was clearly taken aback by who these two where and he was feeling some type of way at this man who was all on his woman.

Mercedes giggled as he put her down on her feet, giving him another hug before moving over to hug the woman, "What are you guys doing here?"

"We both are in town for business." She replied as she leaned back, running her hands over her face, "Still as beautiful as ever."

"Aw shucks, you're the one to talk." Mercedes said as she hugged her tightly before pulling back. Hearing Sam clear his throat, Mercedes turned to him with a big smile, "I'm sorry." She went over and grabbed his hand, pulling him in front of the people, not noticing their frowns, "You guys, this is.." She barely got out before she saw a fist flying towards Sam's face, gasping loudly, "Chris."

"What in the hell?" Sam called out as he held his nose, looking up at the man with a shocked glare.

"Oh shit." Santana mumbled as she sat her chart down, picking up a towel and walking over to an angry Sam.

"That's not even nearly what you deserve for what you put my friend through."

Mercedes stepped between the two when she saw Chris move closer to Sam, "Chris, calm down, okay? It was all a misunderstanding. Sam didn't know anything about Danielle, his brother is the one that kept us apart all these years."

Reece stared at Mercedes in confusion before waving her hands in the air, "Woah, what?"

Santana held the towel to Sam's nose, watching her friend close his eyes, she chuckled underneath her breath, "Good thing we're in the hospital."

Mercedes started to explain to her two college buddies on what happened. Seeing their angry features melt into complete confusion then back to angry, she nodded once she finished, "So yeah..that's what happened."

Chris gave Sam an apologetic look, "Sorry man, I've been keeping that in for a very long time."

Mercedes watched as Sam waved him off, wincing in pain when Santana moved the towel. She turned back to them and gave a soft smile, "Guys, I would like to properly introduce you. Reece and Chris, this is my fiancé Sam Evans. Sam, these two angels are two of my closest friends that I met in college, Christopher and Reece Middleton."

"It's nice to meet you, Sam." Reece said with a smile as she shook the man's hand, eyes going wide once she realized what Mercedes just said, "Wait, fiancé?"

Mercedes smiled brightly as she nodded, eyes going to Reece when she held her left hand up and examined it.

Reece scanned the ring, turning Mercedes' hand to the side, "Beautiful, subtle and not too flashy. That says a lot about your character, Sam."

"Congratulations to the both of you." Chris said happily, causing his wife to nod in agreement.

"I'm so happy for you Cedes." Reece squealed as she hugged her tightly, giggling once she let go. She watched as her husband shook Sam's hand and she wrapped her arm around her shoulders, "When's the wedding?"

"Ask Danielle, she has appointed herself the wedding planner." Mercedes laughed at the thought of her daughter planning her wedding. This was going to be something special in more ways than one.

"I would love to see her before we leave next week."

"We should have dinner then." Sam spoke up as he looked over at them, "It would be nice to get to know you two."

Reece unwrapped herself from Mercedes and nodded, "That we definitely need to do."

"Friday sounds good to everyone? Including you Santana."

"Don't worry, I was going to invite myself anyways." Santana replied to her best friend with a smirk, causing everyone to laugh. She moved the towel once again and scanned over Sam's nose. Taking her gloved covered hand and placing it on top, "This is going to hurt." She said as she straighten it back up quickly, hearing him groan out in pain, she smiled, "It's going to be bruised for awhile but other than that, you're good."

"Thank you Tana."

Chris winced when he saw how badly his nose was bruised, "I'm really sorry man. I didn't mean to mess up your money maker."

Sam shook his head as he gave him a reassuring smile, "It's fine, I understand why you did it."

Reece heard her phone go off and she sighed, giving them an apologetic smile, "We actually have to go. We had to be at a meeting twenty minutes ago but we couldn't wait to see you."

"Oh my god, get going. I'll call you guys later." Mercedes said as she hugged both of them with a smile, waving when they headed out. She turned back to Sam, rubbing the side of his face, "Sorry about that. I haven't gotten a chance to really talk to them about everything."

"Baby, it's fine, I promise. Just caught me off guard that's all." He chuckled as he looked down at her, "Want to tell me the history between you three?"

"We're definitely going to wait until Friday. Right now, I just want to enjoy lunch and take care of you." She said as she stared at his nose before looking back at him with a smile.

Sam raised a brow as a smirk began tugging at his lips, "You know what you said have a double meaning right?"

"Seriously? That's what you got out of what I said?" Mercedes rolled her eyes at him before grabbing his hand, pulling him towards the elevators. What was she going to do with this man?

* * *

Danielle read the address again before looking up at the holding. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped in, eyes wandering around the place. She pulled her bag up on her shoulder as she walked through the building, looking around, she found the man towards the back and a frown instantly etched across on her face.

Saint moved the papers into a stack and handed it to one of the workers, "These are the clearance forms for both of the buildings downtown. We are going to start today." He turned around when he heard someone clearing their throat, seeing Danielle caught him off guard for a second, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't think I was done because I wasn't. I have some things I need to get off my chest and you're going to listen." Danielle crossed her arms as she stared at him, seeing the man looking between them curiously.

Saint broke eye contact with her before looking at his worker, "You guys go ahead to the site, I'll meet you there."

"Sure thing boss." He said with a nod, giving Danielle a smile before he walked passed her and out of the room.

Danielle watched as Saint gestured for her to take a seat in the chair in front of his desk. Sitting her bag down on the floor, she sat down and uncrossed her arms.

"I don't know what else I can say to you. I know me saying sorry is not enough and you probably don't even think that I mean it."

"I don't." Danielle said as she glared at him, leaning forward, "How can you live with yourself knowing what you did? Twenty years, which is seven thousand and three hundred plus days, you could've told the truth but you didn't. I don't think you understand how much hurt you have caused."

Saint leaned back in his chair as he looked away from her, feeling the déjà vu of her words hitting him hard, "I can't take back what I did..I'm so sorry for hurting every single last one of you."

Danielle felt tears filling in her eyes. She was trying to keep her emotions in check but was having a hard time doing so. She was angry and hurt, "I-I had to grow up without my daddy. He wasn't there to take me to my first day of school, he wasn't there to protect from the monsters I swear were in my closet, he wasn't there to scare the boys away when I hit middle school, he wasn't there for the daddy and daughter dances, he wasn't there to send me off for my senior prom and to top it off, he wasn't there for my graduation." Danielle wiped her tears away as she stood up, picking her bag from the ground, "I spent most of my life thinking that he hated me that much to not be in my life. I blamed myself as I got older because I thought that I was the main reason for him breaking my mom's heart." She stared at him with nothing but hatred gleaming in her eyes, "I am so grateful that I have him now. He's literally the most amazing person ever. I don't have to go the rest of my life without him. But even with him here now, I'm still damaged for good. So, I hope it was worth it and I hope you're happy."

Saint watched her give him another glare before walking out. He didn't realize that the whole time she was talking, he had managed to start crying. What the hell was he thinking? All of this because he was immature. He was loosing everyone he loved over his own stupidity. His wife, his brother and a niece he was pretty sure would never want anything to do with him.

* * *

"I'm so serious." Reece laughed along with everyone in the room, picking up her wine glass. Her and Chris had arrived a little over an hour ago and now they were sitting in the dining room eating, telling stories and getting to know Sam, "Having Mercedes as my roommate was the highlight of my college years, seriously. I learned so much, Sam. My food will never be bland, I'm woke as hell on the issues going on in the world, I'm humbled and I know how to braid hair."

Sam snorted as he threw his head back in laughter, "Oh my god." He looked over at Mercedes and saw that she was in straight tears from laughing.

"I had to make her prepared for the world." Mercedes said as she wiped her tears away, picking up her napkin to dry her eyes, "Couldn't have us both being statistics."

Reece gave her a small smile before reaching over and giving a gentle squeeze, "I'm so grateful though because I have this wonderful woman in my life forever."

"Ditto." Chris said with a smile as he lifted up his glass, giving his friend a wink as he took a sip.

Sam smiled at them before sitting up, "I can't believe that we've sat down all this time and I still don't know what y'all do for a living."

Chris sent Mercedes a knowing look before turning to Sam, "You ever wonder why you could never find Mercedes?"

"All the time. It drove me damn near crazy." Sam admitted honestly, seeing the expressions on all three of their faces made him confused, "Why are y'all looking like that?"

"My husband is the reason you couldn't find Mercedes."

Sam stared at Reece in confusion before turning to Chris and Mercedes, "What is she talking about?"

"Long story short, when Mercedes first came to Cal State, we instantly connected..in a strictly platonic way. I worked in the campus library over the summer and I legit saw her in there everyday. One day there was a real bad storm and we had to stay in the library. She was crying so I went over and ask her what was wrong. I mean, she told me everything. Two complete strangers and she felt comfortable enough to share this with me. That's how our friendship started. We became close in such a short period of time. I got to know Mike and Santana real well too when they came and visited." Chris took a sip of his water before speaking again, "What I'm trying to say is, I saw how hurt she was. The pain was clear and I heard from Santana that you was looking for her. At the time, I didn't know you from a hole in wall and I definitely didn't know what you were capable of. I wanted to protect my friend and I did just that. My dad is a head director over one of the largest IT companies in California. I just so happen to follow into his footsteps career wise. To make sure you didn't hurt my friend again, I made it very impossible for you to know her whereabouts. That's why the different PI's you hired couldn't find anything."

Sam mouth was hanging slightly open as he listened to Chris tell his story. Well damn. He didn't expect that. He had always wondered why he couldn't find Mercedes. He searched and searched but ended up empty. Now he knew why, "How is it even possible that I could link her to any pictures on the Internet?"

Chris smiled as he shook his head, "That a secret you will never find out, Mr. Evans."

Mercedes gave him a smile before turning to Sam, leaning over and placing a kiss to his cheek, "They were best friends, support system and protecters while I was in Cali. They helped me so much with everything, especially Danielle. I'm forever grateful."

Sam nodded with a smile as he kissed her, giving her a big hug. He was so happy that she had friends who loved and protected her while she was in California. He looked over her shoulder when he heard the door opening, spotting their daughter, "Speaking of Danielle."

Danielle sat her bag down in the hallway, seeing her dad, she smiled as she made her way into his direction, eyes going wide when she saw two familiar faces, "Aunt Reece, Uncle Chris." She smiled brightly as she went over to hug the couple.

"Dandelion." Reece said with a smile as she hugged her back, "Geez, it's like every time I see you, you get more beautiful."

"Well thank you." Danielle giggled as she let go of Chris, going over to hug her mom and dad, dropping a kiss to both of their cheeks.

"I thought you had to clean your dorm out today." Mercedes said as she handed her daughter a plate, watching as she took a seat beside Sam.

"I did. Everything's packed, I just got to wait until I take my last final Tuesday before turning in my key."

Sam scanned her face for a minute and he could tell that she has be crying. He didn't want to ask her about it right now while they had guest but he put a reminder in his head to do so.

Danielle placed the grilled chicken, sautéed spinach and glazed carrots on her plate before looking back up, "How long are you in town for?"

"Until next Thursday." Chris answered with a smile as he looked at her, "How's life treating you these days Dani?"

"Good actually. I'm about to be out for three months for the summer, thank God." Danielle gave him a small smile before gazing over at her parents, "And I'm know there's no such thing as perfect but my home life is pretty close to that now."

Mercedes smiled as she glanced over at Sam, who had a smile on his face. Giving his hand a squeeze, she heard her work phone ringing and she excused herself from the table, "Now tell us about this wedding.." She chuckled to herself when she heard Reece trying to pry some information out of her daughter. Getting to her phone, she answered it, "Mercedes Jones."

"M-Mercedes.." The voice said as he looked up at the sky, "I-I'm sorry."

"Saint?" Mercedes whispered as she moved further in the kitchen with confusion written all over her face, "How did you get my number?"

"The h-hospital." He said as he bursted out in tears before rambling off, "I ruined your life and I'm so sorry."

"Are you drunk?" Not getting a reply, she listened closely through the phone and heard the sounds of cars, "Saint, where are you?"

"I'm sorry." And with that, he hung up the phone.

Mercedes looked at her phone in shock before hearing her cell phone go off. Seeing it was a text from Mary really had her baffled now.

 _Mercedes, please help me here. I didn't want to risk calling because I didn't want Sam to know. Saint really needs your help and I was wondering if you could talk to him. I think he's about to do something really absurd and he want even talk to me. I know that you probably don't even care and I understand if you don't want to but please, I'm at a lost._

 _What the hell is going on?_ Mercedes thought as she looked at the text. Going back to her work phone, she saw that she had a text from the same number Saint call her from.

 _Sorry. Goodbye._

"You okay?"

Mercedes jumped slightly when she heard Sam's voice, turning around, she gulped, "Um, no."

"What's wrong?"

"Have you talked to Saint lately?"

"Very funny Mercedes."

"No, I'm serious Sam. Please check your phone."

"What's going on?" Sam asked when he saw how visibly shaken she was, pulling his phone from his pocket, he clicked the button and saw that he had multiple missed calls from his parents and siblings but a text stood out to him. It was from Saint.

 _I'm sorry for ruining your life little brother. I know there's nothing I could do or say that will get your forgiveness. Goodbye._

"Mercedes." Sam said slowly as he handed her the phone, running his hands through his hair as he walked away from her.

"Oh my god." Mercedes said once she read the text, putting Sam's phone down, "Sam, I'm going to need you to think. Where's one place that is like Saint's safe place? Or somewhere that you and him use to go that no one else knew about?"

Sam thought about it for a minute before he turned around. There was only one place he knew his brother would go and even though he was beyond pissed at him, he hoped he was still there.

* * *

Saint gulped down the second bottle of vodka that he had since he came here. Sighing in content as he looked out at the skyline. He was done with life. He was a monster and he couldn't live any longer knowing that he was. He was loosing everything and everyone he loved. His oldest son was starting to not like him, his wife was leaving him and on top of that, his brother hated his guts. Did he blame them? No. This was his fault. He let his insecurity, overprotection and jealously clog his mind. He was better off not being here.

Mercedes climbed the fire escape as quickly as she could with Sam right behind her, getting to the top, she saw that he had jammed the door shut to prevent anyone from coming out on the root.

Sam moved Mercedes to the side just so he could push the door open with his foot. It took a couple of tries but he eventually got it. He let Mercedes go in front of him while he trailed behind her.

"Saint." Mercedes called out as she walked around the roof, turning the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him sitting on the ledge, "Saint, what are you doing?"

"What I need t-to do." He slurred as he dangled his legs, his sad teary eyes moving from hers to his brother before he turned around in shame.

"Don't be stupid Saint."

"Sam." Mercedes shook her head as she gave him a look, whispering, "That's not going to help." Believe it or not, Mercedes has been in this predicament way too many times than she has wanted with patients. She moved her hair back as she walked closer to him, only to be pulled back by Sam, "It's fine." She reassured him as she moved his hand from her arm, walking towards Saint but he must of felt her presence because he stood up.

"Stop, you're not going to stop me from doing this Mercedes." He said as the bottle dangled from his hand, tears rushing down his face, "I've hurt too many people and I don't want to do that anymore."

"You are doing it right now." Mercedes said softly as she stared up at him, "Do you know how many people are going to be devastated if you hurt yourself? Your parents, siblings and especially your sons."

"They wouldn't care." He yelled out, wobbling as he looked up at the sky, "My wife left me, Alex hates me and my siblings don't even want to be in the same room as me. I have no one and I can't blame them. I ruined Danielle, Sam and your life because of jealously, arrogance and insecurity. And it makes me angry that I'm just now realizing how fucked up it was."

Sam heard the sirens coming closer and he opened his mouth up to speak but nothing would come out. He was so overwhelmed and honestly scared right now.

Mercedes held her hand out for him to take, "Just come down so we can talk."

Saint shook his head as he gave her a sad smile, sniffling as he dropped the bottle out of his hand, "There's nothing left to talk about."

Sam felt his heart thumping erratically in his chest, coming to stand beside Mercedes, reaching his hand out as well, "Saint, don't do this man just come down."

"I'm truly sorry for doing you wrong Sam. I guess I'm just not what a real big brother is suppose to be."

Mercedes saw his feet moving closer towards the edge and she moved quickly to try to grab ahold of him but it was too late.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **A/N. You hate me, I know but I'm not apologizing for leaving you with this cliffhanger. Not going to give a review but I want to read your feedback. I wanted to do this chapter because if you wasn't aware, Suicide Awareness Month is this month & as always, I want to incorporate real life issues in my stories. Totally off the story right now, if you or anyone you know ever get in a place where you can't take it anymore and you can't talk to anyone around you, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or if you want to text, text 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. Just know that you are loved by someone & it doesn't have to end like this! **


	28. Close Calls & Scattered Minds

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

* * *

 _"Pain is temporary; Quitting is forever."_

The sounds of machines beeping throughout the room, coolness of the air surrounding and the quietness was strangely calming. The last couple of hours had sent him for a loop. Scratch that. The last couple of months plus last few hours that led up to this has been absolutely crazy. Sam didn't know what to think but one thing was for sure, he definitely did witness the most horrible thing tonight. His brother had got to a place where he wanted to end his life. Yeah, he has been hell struck on making sure he caught hell whenever they were around each other but he didn't think it would lead to this. Of course he was angry at him but that didn't mean he wanted him to die. That's why he was grateful. The keyword word for last night was tried. Saint tried to kill himself but didn't succeed. As him and Mercedes made it to building, he called for help. Luckily, they made it in time to set up some type of safety net that broke his fall. Now, he was sitting in a chair beside the man as he laid in the hospital bed.

Saint let out a harsh breath as he moved his hand, opening his eyes, he frowned slightly when he found the IV. Hearing someone breathing, he turned to side and saw that it was Sam, "You're still here?"

"Yeah." Sam replied as he stared at him for a moment before placing the book on the table, "I thought I would sit with you for awhile until mom came."

Saint sighed as he turned away from him and laid his head back against the pillows, whispering, "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to." Sam shrugged as he sat up, "Like it or not, you are my brother."

Saint felt his eyes starting to water up when he heard what he said, shaking his head, "You shouldn't, not after what I did to you."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still pissed..beyond pissed for what you did to me and my family but no matter how mad I am, I would never want anything to happen to you." Sam said honestly as he look at him when he turned back around, "What you did was selfish, Saint. It was selfish as hell. You weren't thinking about anyone but yourself. If anything, you should've thought about your sons. They would've been without their father and for what? Because he couldn't take a little heat for the shit he did." He didn't realize he was crying until he felt his tears trickling down his face, "I hate you but what I hate the most is that you put us all in this situation where it led to you wanting to leave this earth thinking we didn't love you when we do."

"I'm s-sorry I hurt you Sam, I really am." He cried out before covering his face, "I need help, I n-need help."

"And you're going to get it." Sam said as he went over to him, contemplating if he wanted to do what he was about to do by ultimately, he let his heart make the decision. He leaned down and wrapped him into a hug, letting his anger dissolve during this moment.

Saint hugged him back tightly, feeling the tears rush down his face. He didn't deserve the brother he had, he really didn't.

Mercedes ran her hands through her hair as she sat down in the waiting room with the Evans' siblings. Taking a deep breath, she was thankful that everyone got there in time when they did last night because this could've ended differently. She wasn't going to say she hate Saint because in all honestly, she didn't. In reality she should but she didn't. She was hurt, really hurt by what he did and she would never forget it but she just wanted to let go of the past. Hearing footsteps coming up, she looked up and stood almost immediately when she saw Danielle, "Hey sweetheart."

Before Danielle could say anything, she saw Roxy get up from her seat and walk over to her with an angry look on her face, catching everyone off guard.

"Why the hell are you here?" She asked angrily as she stared at the teen with anger, "You shouldn't be here, knowing that you are the reason he is in the hospital the first place. He called me after you pulled that little stunt of confronting him at his job. This is your fault."

"What the actual hell Roxy?" Shelby said as she scolded her sister in law, "Back off."

Mercedes stood in front of Danielle and got into the woman's face, feeling anger rise up in her as she pushed her back, "You better get the hell out of my daughter's face. I'm not even playing with you right now."

"I should go." Danielle whispered to her mom with tears in her eyes, nibbling on her bottom lip as she stepped back.

"Yeah, you're not welcome here. Just remember that, sweetheart." Roxy stumbled from Mercedes' push as she spoke, gasping when she felt someone pull her back by her arm, seeing that it was Summer giving her a death glare.

Sam had closed the door and walked out in the hallway when he saw his sister jerk Roxy by her arm. Confused, he walked closer when he noticed Danielle. Seeing tears in her eyes and a red face, he looked over at Mercedes and saw that all to familiar pissed off expression, "What's going on?"

Danielle gave him a sad smile before shaking her head, "Um nothing, I-I'm just going to go, okay?"

"No you're not. Why are you crying?." Sam asked before she just turn and walked away.

"Be lucky I don't have time to drag your ass down this hallway, bitch. I don't play about my child so don't ever in your life say what you said to her again. Watch yourself." Mercedes said as she snatched her purse up from the seat and headed into the direction that her daughter went.

Sander stood up from his seat and glared at Roxy, "Unbelievable. I thought you were better than that."

Sam didn't even bother to ask what happened. He stared at the woman and it was only one thing she really could've opened her mouth to say, "You really are something, huh?"

Roxy scoffed as she rolled her eyes, turning around and heading towards her husband's room. Taking a calming breath, she turned the knob and opened the door, putting a smile on her face when she saw him up and talking to Alex, "Hey, your parents are going to bring Timmy by later."

"Okay." Saint replied softly as his eyes met hers, "Why do you look mad?"

Roxy rolled her eyes once more as she took a seat, crossing her legs, "I had some words with The Royal Family aka your brother, his fiancée and daughter. I told her that she needed to leave."

Alex face twitched up in confusion, "Why would you do that?"

"Because Alex, she's the reason your dad is in this bed."

Saint eyes went wide when heard her what she said, mouth dropping as he tried to process what she just said, "W-Woah, what?"

"It's the truth Saint, and you know it. She pushed and pushed you, messing with your mind. It's her fault."

"No, it's not her fault." Alex stood up angrily and stared at his mother in utter disbelief, "If it's anyone's fault, it's yours. You walked out on dad when he needed you the most."

Roxy eyes bugged as she stood up, "Excuse you. You need to watch who you are talking to young man, I'm your mother. Stay in a child's place."

"He's right. You had no right to do what you did. This is not anyone's fault but mines. You were wrong for saying that to her, Roxy. You don't know what lasting effects you left on her." The silence loomed in the room for a few seconds before he spoke up again, "Get out."

"What?" Roxy stared at him in shocked, seeing the seriousness on his face.

"I said get out. I don't want you in here." He looked away from her, staring at his son, "My niece didn't deserve anything bad that has happen in her life and sure as hell didn't deserve what you said. So I'm telling you to get out and think about what you've done."

"I can't believe you're doing this to me." She said as tears began to rush down her face, she looked over to their oldest and saw the anger in his face. She cried as she left out the room. This has been the worst two days of her life.

* * *

Sam truly felt like he was going to lose it. The last thing he remember was following behind Mercedes and Danielle but he didn't expect the change of events to happen. He was kneeling on the ground next to Mercedes as she tended to their daughter. Some how in a span of the five minutes they left, she ended up having a seizure. He didn't know how it happened but he was so scared. He watched as Mercedes unbutton the button of her shirt that was by her neck, watching as Summer handed her a pillow that she got from the nurse. Mercedes had placed it underneath her head and had her laying on her side.

Mercedes rubbed her daughter's arm before looking up at the two siblings, "She hasn't had one in years but when she has really bad anxiety attacks, they lead to seizures."

Summer sadly glanced at the teen as her shakes began to slow down, watching as she stared at her parents in complete numbness, "She's going to be alright though, right?"

Mercedes nodded as she gave a weak smile, "Yes, she's going to be just fine." She stood up and placed her hand on Sam's shoulder, squeezing it, "I'm going to go get a wheelchair."

Sam nodded as he held Dani's hand, sighing as he placed his face on the side of it.

Summer bent down and gave Sam a hug, seeing how emotional he was getting.

Danielle stared at Sam, feeling everything starting to wear off, she spoke to him in a shaky voice, "I-I'm okay daddy, I p-promise."

Sam watched as she closed her eyes and he took a deep breath, running his thumb over the back of her hand. He saw Mercedes coming from the side of his eye, "Is there a certain way I need to pick her up?"

"No, just make sure she's done shaking." Mercedes informed him and watched as he looked back at their daughter. Once it was all cleared, he watched Sam pick her up from the ground and sat her in the chair.

Summer grabbed the pillow from the floor and gave it to one of the nurses who stood by to help them, "Thank you." She turned back around to the couple and gave them a small smile, "Do you guys need anything?"

"No, we're good. I'm going to get them home." Sam said as he gave his sister a gentle smile, leaning over to give her a hug, "Thank you Summer."

"No problem." She said as she patted his back before letting go, going over to do the same to Mercedes, "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

Mercedes nodded as she hugged the woman back, "Thank you sweetheart."

Summer nodded as she let go, bending down to place a kiss to the side of Dani's head, "Let me know when y'all make it home."

"We will." Sam told her before she left, turning back to Mercedes, "Ready?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here." Mercedes checked on Dani before placing her hands on the bars to push her. She just wanted to get her baby home so she could rest. One thing she did know for sure, Roxy hasn't seen the last of her, not by a long shot. She was not going to get away with what she said.

* * *

 _"Sorry is not enough. Sometimes you actually have to change."_

Alex waited outside the door while his grandparents talked to his father. Every since everything happened last night, he haven't left his side. He loved his dad very much, although most of the time he hated how controlling he was at times, it didn't mean he didn't care about him. Staring through the window, he saw them hugging and grabbing their things before making their way out the door.

Dwight gave him a smile as he pushed the hat back on his head, "Do you want something to eat?"

"I'm fine grandpa." He told the older man, seeing him nod and squeeze his shoulder. He watched as he grabbed his grandmother's hand and walked away.

Alex went into the room and closed the door behind him, seeing his little brother asleep on the couch, he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, "You need anything?"

Saint looked up from the book when he heard his son's voice, giving him a sad smile as he shook his head, "I'm sorry for what I've put you and your brother through, Alex. Your Uncle Sam was right, I was being selfish and wasn't thinking about anyone but myself. I was wrong. I didn't think about how it was going to hurt you or your brother. One thing I do want you to know Alex is that none of this is your fault. It's not anyone's fault but my own. I made a promise to myself that I'm going to get the help I need to get better. I love you more than life itself and I want to get better not only for myself but for you."

Alex leaned forward and wrapped his arms around him, laying his head down on his shoulder, "I love you dad."

"I love you too, son." He sniffled as he pulled back, giving him a smile.

"What are you going to do about mom?"

"I don't know yet. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love her but she was way out of line for what she said."

Alex nodded as he looked towards the ground, playing with the ends of the blanket, "Do you think I could call Danielle to see if she's okay?"

"I see nothing wrong with it."

"Okay." Alex said as he got up from the bed and pulled his phone from out of his pocket. Unlocking it, he went and dialed a number and put the phone to his ear.

Sam watched Mercedes pour the Chamomile tea in the cups as they sat in the kitchen. Hearing his phone ring, he picked it up off the counter and looked at it. He slid the answer button and placed it on speaker, "Hey, everything okay?"

"Everything's good Uncle Sam." Alex said as he took a seat on the couch, "Mom told us what she did and I was just calling to check on Dani to make sure she's okay."

Mercedes grabbed the honey from the cabinet and popped the top, looking over at Sam when he let out a long sigh.

"She's..fine."

"You're lying again." Alex said matter of factly as he leaned back again the cushion, "Do you think I can come see or speak to her?"

"I don't know bud.." Sam drifted off once he saw Mercedes coming to sit beside him, "I don't think she's up for any company right now but I will let her know you called."

Alex sighed as he put his head down, mumbling, "Alright."

Mercedes ran her hand on the back of her neck, pouting a bit when she heard the disappointment in his voice. She was shockingly surprised at how close the two had come in such a short amount of time, "Hey Alex."

"Hi Mercedes."

"Listen, if it's okay with your parents, maybe sometime next week, if Dani feels better, you and Timothy can come over for the day and spend some time with us."

A big smile began to appear on his face, "I'd like that a lot."

"Awesome and Alex? Take care of your dad, alright? He loves you so much kid, more than you possibly could know."

Alex looked over at his dad, who was reading this book his grandmother left him, "I will."

"Great. Listen, I'm going to be by tomorrow morning so tell your dad for me."

"Yes sir, I'll see you in the morning."

"See you later kiddo."

"Bye." Alex said as he hung up the phone, "Uncle Sam said he's going to come back in the morning.

"Okay." Saint shut the book and watched as he came back over and sat down, "How's she doing?"

"He said she's fine but I could tell he wasn't telling the truth." Alex folded his arms as he leaned back on the front of the bed, "Maybe you could try to talk to her dad."

Saint thought about what his son said and he was right. Damn, this kid was really mature for someone who doesn't turn fifteen until two more months. He was going to talk to Sam in the morning to see if there was any way that he could speak to Danielle. It was a talk that was long overdue anways.

* * *

 _"Holding a grudge doesn't make you strong, it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn't make you weak, it sets you free."_

Danielle sat up in her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs while her head laid still on top. _You are the reason he's in the hospital in the first place. This is your fault._ The harsh words that were said were looming in her head and she couldn't help but mulled over them. What she said was true. If she would've never went to his job, none of this would've happened. She was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn't even hear the knock on her door, followed by it opening.

"Dani." Sam whispered as he came into her room, closing the door behind him. He walked over to the bed and took a seat, getting a glimpse of her face. She looked bad, really bad and it was breaking his heart. Her hair was pulled back into two braids that her mom had did earlier, eyes were puffy and red, she had dark circles and bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep. To make matters worse, she hasn't eaten anything all day, "Danielle, you need to eat something."

"I'm not hungry." She said quietly, never taking her eyes off the wall, "She was right."

"No she wasn't." Sam replied sternly, knowing exactly what she was referring to. He moved closer and watched as she turned her head to look at him.

"She was." Her words managed to get out just as she felt tears rushing down her face again, "I didn't say everything I wanted to say at dinner so yeah, I went to his job. I was fuming and I should've just controlled my anger. I didn't have you in my life for eighteen years. I'm sorry I can't move on like everyone expects me to. It may be easy for you and mom to let go of the past and move on but I can't."

"Listen to me." Sam grabbed her hands, forcing her to look at him, "I understand your anger. I understand your pain. No one is expecting you to just forget baby but holding onto to this anger will only hurt you in the long run. Trust me, in the past week, I just learned that. In no means am I forgetting what my brother did and as hard as it is, I forgive him. It's hard as hell but I'm forgiving him because I have you now." He leaned forward and wiped the tears away from her eyes before holding her face in his hands, "As for this being any of your fault, it's not. Nowhere near it, do you understand me?"

Danielle sniffled as she casted her eyes down, merely nodding as she pulled back and laid down, "I'm going to go to sleep."

"Alright but if you don't eat anything when you get up, I'm going to tell mom." Sam said as he stood up from her bed, unfolding the blanket and placing it over her. He bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered as she watched him leave out of her room. Taking a deep breath and letting what he said marinate in her head. She wanted so badly to believe that this wasn't her fault but somehow it all came back to her. From the beginning, she was the cause of a rift between her parents and her uncle almost committing suicide because of her. Her little cousins could've lost their dad because of her. She felt the tears coming back in full force as she pulled the blanket over her face. _This is your fault._ That stinging statement was lingering in her scattered mind.


	29. Letting Go Of Past Deeds

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE**.

* * *

 _"Some painful things can teach us lessons that we didn't think we needed to know."_

Reece walked down the hallway when she heard the slamming of cabinets. Her and Chris has only been in Georgia for four days and a lot has transpired since then. But one thing that was tugging fiercely at her heart was seeing how bad Danielle was taking it all. One upset Dani led to one pissed off mother, not that she blamed her one bit. She haven't even met this Roxy chick and she already wanted to ring her neck. Finding Mercedes pouring herself a generous amount of wine in a glass, she walked in, "Babe, what's going on?"

Mercedes scoffed as she took a long sip, closing her eyes as she swallowed the liquid down before sitting the glass back on the counter, "I had to literally force pieces of a sandwich down my daughter's throat and constantly keep reassuring her that nothing is her fault."

"Much like you did when she was twelve." Reece said sadly as she took a seat at the bar, wincing at the memory.

Mercedes nodded as she leaned over on the counter, running her hands over her face. When Dani got older, Mercedes told her about everything that had transpired before she was born because she wanted to know the truth. The preteen took it harder than expected and long story short, she blamed herself. She locked herself in her room for a week and barely ate until Mercedes took matters into her own hands, "So now I'm here weighing my options. I can go to jail for hurting that bitch or I can go to jail for hurting that bitch."

Reece snorted at her friend before picking up her abandoned glass, taking a few sips before holding her hand up, "Here's a third option. You take care of Dandelion and I'll handle this Roxy chick."

Mercedes side eyed her for a moment before turning around and going to the refrigerator, "The last time you handled someone.."

"We said we would never bring that up again." Reece interrupted her and gave her a pointed look with a small smirk on her face, picking up a cookie from the tray, "Besides, that's a different situation. She has kids. I won't actually hurt her physically. We're just going to have some words."

"It's not like I just want to keep this drama going, you know?" Mercedes said all of sudden as she turned back to look at her friend, "You can say whatever the hell you want to me, I don't give a shit but don't ever come for my daughter."

"That's why you need to leave it to me. I don't want you getting in trouble so I'll take care of it. I am a certified classy, ratchet, mixed with everything bitch. I got you."

Mercedes let a quiet laugh escape her mouth as she shook her head. She was right, she was mixed with everything and because she was born and raised in Oakland, she did have a tad bit of hoodish tendencies, "Never in my life would I have thought I would ever meet anyone who was worse than Santana."

"We're two of a kind, that's why we get along so well." She said with a smile as she crossed her legs, hearing Mercedes phone go off.

Mercedes chuckled at her before sliding the answer button, putting the phone to her ear, "Hey love."

"Hey." Sam smiled as he took a seat, rubbing the back of his neck, "How's everything going there?"

"She still won't come out of her room but a couple of hours ago I made her eat, shower and I slipped a sleeping pill into her water."

Sam sighed as he leaned his hand back on the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Saint wants to see her."

"Excuse me?"

"He told me this morning that he wants to talk to her. Not only about what happened with him but what he did to us." Hearing the silence on the other line, he continued on, "Call me crazy baby, like seriously, I think I hit my head on something without knowing in the past seventy-two hours because you know my first response would be no but I think it's a good idea."

"Oh really?"

"Yes." Sam bit down on his bottom lip as he looked out the window, hearing her sigh, he let a smile take over his lips, "It's ultimately going to be up to her anyways so.."

"Are you being cheeky with me right now? Don't get cheeky with me Evans."

Sam snorted as he rolled his eyes, "Yes ma'am."

Mercedes grunted before turning her head, seeing Danielle come into the kitchen, "I'll tell her about it."

"Alright." Sam said as he looked at his watch, "I'm heading straight to work after I leave here and then I'll see you later on this evening. Love you."

"Love you too." Mercedes said before she hung up the phone, ignoring the cheesy grin that was spread across Reece's face, she went over to her daughter, "You alright?"

Danielle looked up at her, rubbing her sleepy eyes, "You drugged me."

"I did." Mercedes replied as she went and took a seat beside her, placing her phone on the counter, "You haven't been sleeping and that's not healthy."

Danielle ran her hands through her messy hair before speaking, "I've been trying but I can't."

Mercedes rubbed her hand up and down her back, "Dad wanted me to let you know that if you're up to it, Saint wants to talk to you." She felt her stiffen up and she gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Yeah Dandelion. If it makes you uncomfortable, nobody is forcing you to go."

Danielle sighed as she looked over at her mother with a curious expression, "Would you be mad if I did?"

"Would you be mad at yourself if you didn't?" Mercedes retorted the question back to her, seeing the small glare she was sending her, she sent one back. She got up from the chair and pressed a kiss to her forehead before going back to the refrigerator, "Listen to your heart."

Danielle listened to what she said and nodded. She wanted so badly to talk to this man, that's all she ever wanted for him was to hear her out but lately, she was scared to even do that now because she didn't know how it was going to end.

* * *

 _"You will begin to heal when you let go of past hurts, forgive those who have wronged you, and learn to forgive yourself for your mistakes."_

Saint thanked the nurse when he took the IV out of his hand, sitting up in the bed. He was happy to be going home in a few minutes. This hospital was really getting uncomfortable and the only reason he had to stay was because he was placed under the standard forty-eight hour suicide watch. As much as he hated, he was also grateful for it because it gave him some much needed time to reflect on some things. Hearing a knock on the door, he lifted his head and turned to see who it was. He was shocked to see Danielle standing there. He knew he had told Sam he wanted to speak with her but he thought for sure she wouldn't even come. Watching her come into the room, he notice almost immediately that she didn't look like herself at all. From what he could tell when he first met her, she was always bubbly, glowing and kept a smile on her face. The young woman in front of him was definitely not that, "Hey."

Danielle fiddled with her hands as she moved in, tucking her hair behind her ears, "Hi."

"You can have a seat if you want." Saint said quietly, seeing her nod and walked over to the chair. He waited until she sat before speaking, "Thank you for coming."

Danielle raised her eyes to him, not trusting herself to talk so she just nodded.

Saint saw that she was having a hard time and he hated that. The outspoken young woman he met just a few days ago was not that anymore, "Listen Danielle, I ask you here because I want to talk to you. If you don't want to say anything, that's really okay. I don't want to force you talk, I just want you to listen." He said softly as he sat up in the bed, clearing his throat, "First and foremost, none of this is your fault and don't let anyone try to tell you it is. I was fighting my demons and still am. Truth is, I finally realized how what I did was beyond messed up. I can't apologize enough for it. What set me off was when I saw how emotionally damage you were. I couldn't help but think that it's because of me. I'm the cause of this girl's pain. I just couldn't take it anymore. There was nothing I could do or say to change what I had done." Saint sighed as he looked away from her, feeling his eyes starting to water up, "I'm working on myself and when I get out this hospital, I will get the professional help I need. I accept that my relationship with my brother will never be the same. I accept that you don't like me and may never will, it's okay. All I want from all of you is to understand that I'm not just saying this for the hell of it but I am really sorry."

Danielle wiped the tears that fallen from her eyes, sniffling as she stared at the ground, "I never meant for it to lead to this. I just wanted you to know how much you hurt us, that's all. When your wife blamed me, I started to think the same way I did when I was younger. Maybe I am the cause of every bad thing that has happened in my life." She looked back up at him, "I don't hate you, not by a long shot. I was raised to never hate anyone but I do dislike you. I'm sorry I can't change that. I'm sorry I don't have an off switch people expect me to have. But one thing I do want you to know is that I forgive you and I sincerely wish you the best recovery for yourself and your kids. Alex and Timothy are amazing and I'm so lucky to have them as my cousins. And I want to thank you for asking me to come by. I was so scared but I'm glad I did."

"Thank you for coming Danielle, seriously. You have no idea how much that alone means to me." Saint said seriously as he looked at the young woman. Seeing a small smile tug at her lips did it for him. Although it wasn't easy hearing what she had to say, it was like relief washed over him when she said she forgives him.

Danielle stood up from the chair and placed her hands into her pockets, sniffling, "I am thankful that I do I have my dad. A lot of girls can't say that. Better late than never, I suppose. Have a good day, Mr. Saint." And with that, she turned and walked out the room with her head held high. She felt a sense of reassurance wave over her when it came out of his mouth that she didn't cause this. One positive outcome out of this short meeting, she knew he meant it when he apologized.

* * *

 _"I forgive but I also learn a lesson. I won't hate you, but I'll never get close enough for you to hurt me again. I can't let my forgiveness become foolishness."_

Sam rested his chin on top of Mercedes' right shoulder as he watched on from behind, staring at their daughter. Once he had came over after work, Mercedes had cooked some dinner. Sam wasn't too surprised that Dani didn't share with them what happen with her and Saint. All he knew is it had to had gone well because she was returning to her old self.

Danielle groaned lowly when she felt her parents watching her, knowing exactly why they were doing it. She pushed her glasses up on her face and lifted up the empty plate, "All gone."

Mercedes smiled at her before folding her arms, "Now, go upstairs and get some sleep."

"Not going to drug me this time?" She quipped as she stood up from the table with her plate, walking over to the sink.

Mercedes giggled as she turn and looked at Sam before going back over to her, "Not unless I have to."

"You won't." She said with a small smile as she went over and gave her a hug, doing the same to Sam before letting go and heading out the kitchen, "I love y'all."

"Love you too." The both replied with smiles on their faces, watching as she headed up the stairs.

Sam grabbed himself a bottle of water before following behind Mercedes to the living room, plopping down on the couch, "What a week."

"You can say that again." Mercedes sighed as she sat down beside him, tucking her legs underneath her, "I'm emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted."

"Same." Sam threw his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, kissing her cheek, "Never thought it would lead to all of this, you know?" Sam laid his head down on top of hers, staring at the black screen of the TV in front of him, "You know, I realized some things this week. I'm a changed person and I honestly think it's because of you and Danielle. Let me tell you why. I had a short conversation with Saint. I forgave him, and a big reason was because of what happened. Life is too short and a lot can happen in a blink of an eye. I forgave him because no matter what he did, deep down, he is my brother and I love him despite how I have been feeling. Just because I forgave him doesn't mean I'm going to ever forget. He hurt me, he hurt you and he hurt our daughter. That's forever going to be engraved in my mind but it's time for me to let go of all this negative energy because it's only going to hurt me in the long run." He took ahold of her hand and locked their fingers together, "Goddammit I'm getting soft."

Mercedes chuckled heartily before moving her head to side to look at him, "Not soft, you're just not a heartless son of a bitch like people think."

"That's true." He said with a snort as he leaned back on the couch. He remembered throughout his whole baseball career people thought he was arrogant..okay, maybe he was a little but not to the extremes like the other players in the league.

"But I absolutely agree with you. We can't let this consume us for the rest of our lives. No matter how much it hurts, we have to let go and live our lives. We have each other now, let's not dwell on things we can't change."

Sam nodded as he laid his head on the couch, letting out a low hum before he spoke again, "I think it's time we take that family vacation. Get away from this place for awhile. Just the three of us."

"Maybe we can go somewhere for Dani's birthday next week."

"Sounds good with me. Matter of fact.." He started as he let go of her and stood up from the couch, a smile plastered on his face as he walked backwards, "Let me get a head start on planning and booking now."

Mercedes watched as he walked out the room and she giggled, shaking her head as she laid back on the couch. A break was something that they all needed right now and she couldn't wait to get away and spend some time with her family.

* * *

 **A/N. Taking a break for awhile..**


	30. Hawaiian Vibes

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Make It To Me-Sam Smith**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Danielle closed her eyes as she laid back in the hammock, listening to the sounds of the ocean while sighing in content as the cool morning breeze blew over her face. It's only been a day but she was starting to feel a whole lot better since they've left Georgia. She was happy to get away for awhile to relax her mind and she was even more ecstatic to spend her twentieth birthday tomorrow with her parents.

Sam opened the back door to the house and stepped out, finding Danielle on the outskirts of the beach, he started to make his way towards her. He wanted to bring them somewhere extremely lowkey so they wouldn't be bothered. They were staying at a cozy little beach cottage in Hauula, Hawaii. He kind of shocked both his fiancée and daughter when he told them that the place was his. He slid into the hammock and laid beside her, "Hey there."

"Hey." Danielle opened her eyes and smiled as she looked at him, "Hauula was seriously an amazing choice dad. I've never heard of it until now. It's a rural area so it's not like all the other cities. How did you even find this place?"

"When I lived in Arizona, one of my housekeepers, Aunhea Alana was from here. She was a sweet older woman who brought me with her for her family reunion one year. She was like a second mom to me." Sam laughed quietly at the memories that flooded through his mind.

"Do you still keep in contact with her?"

Sam gave her a weak smile before looking up at the sky, "She passed away two years ago."

"Oh wow, I'm sorry dad."

"No, it's fine." Sam said as he sighed before turning back to her, "I never talk to anyone about this but I want to with you. She was the one who put me in rehab. Literally, she took me and threw me into the room and said that I wasn't going to leave until I got my shit together and I did. Not even a couple months later, she passed. It crushed me because here's this amazing woman who had been with me for years, guiding and helping me and she's just gone like that. After she died, I had no one. She was one of the main reasons I came back home."

Danielle listened to him and could instantly tell that this woman made an impact on him for life. She grabbed his hand and gave it a small squeeze, "I bet she's really proud of you because you got your shit together."

Sam chuckled as he leaned his head down on hers, "Yeah, it only took forever."

"Better late than never, aye?" Danielle snorted at herself, causing her dad to do the same.

Sam bumped shoulders with her and smiled, "You're right, kiddo."

"I love you dad and I'll never get tired of saying this but I'm so happy you're in my life."

"You like making me cry, don't you?" He asked with a teary chuckle, leaning over and wrapping his arms around her, "I love you so much."

Mercedes leaned the side of her head against doorframe and stared out at the two with a smile on her face. She stepped back in the house and into the kitchen so she could give them some alone time. She had a feeling that this trip was going to be quite memorable.

* * *

Sam followed behind Mercedes as his eyes wandered around the familiar souvenir shop, a smile plastered on his face as he looked at some of the things. He was super pumped for Dani's birthday tomorrow. Him and Mercedes has something really special planned for the young woman.

"This is pretty." Mercedes said as she picked up the pandora bracelet, scanning all the different charms on it, trying to interpret the meanings, "Wish I knew what these words and sayings meant."

"Hello, Google translate." Dani replied, chuckling to herself before walking to the other side of the store.

"Let me see." Sam said as he picked it up, reading it, "Akamai means intelligent, Waipahē means good-natured, Ku'uipo means sweetheart and the saying Ola I ka Makana ma ke Akuna means life is a gift from God."

Mercedes stared at Sam in shocked, mouth opened in surprise, "You understand it?"

Sam raised his eyes and laughed nervously when he saw the look on her face, feeling his face flush as he looked back down at the bracelet, "Yeah, Aunhea taught me a few things."

"That's so sweet." Mercedes said with a wide smile, leaning over to place a kiss to his lips, giggling when she saw how red he was turning, "I think I'm going to get this for Dani."

Sam smiled as he nodded his head, stepping around her so he could find a gift of his own. He actually had got Dani something for her birthday awhile back but figure he'll wait until they got back home to give it to her.

Danielle hummed lowly as she went through some of the keychains on the table, smiling brightly when she found the ones she liked. She picked it up and turned, bumping into someone as she did. She chuckled lightly when she saw it was her dad, "Sorry."

"It's okay. What do you have there?"

"Keychains." She lifted the items up to him, brushing her hair out of her face with her fingers, "Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Danielle turned around to see where her mom was, seeing her talking to the sales clerk, she turned back and looked up at her dad, speaking lowly, "As I've been getting ideas in order for the wedding, I had a thought. Unless you guys really want some big wedding with family and friends, why don't you just elope. And when I mean elope, you two get married here. I mean, when have we ever been able to do things the traditional way?" Danielle gave him an exasperated look, watching him laugh.

"Sex before marriage which resulted into a teen pregnancy..yeah, you have a point." Sam said as he folded his arms, glancing over at Mercedes, "But she deserves to have the wedding of her dreams, you know?"

Danielle sighed as she nodded her head, "Yeah, you're right."

"Maybe you should ask her." Sam spoke up as he wrapped his arm around her, "It's her choice anyways. I'm down for whatever, I just want her to be my wife."

"I think we all do, dad." Danielle let out a giggle as she patted his cheek, undoing his arm from around her, pushing him gently, "Now leave, I'm picking out souvenirs for everybody."

"Yes ma'am." Sam said as he walked away from her and headed to Mercedes, seeing her texting mighty swiftly on her phone, "Everything okay?"

Mercedes looked up at him and giggled, "I left Santana in charge of my wing and she is causing hell. Some the nurses have been holding off on texting me because they didn't want to interrupt my vacation but they couldn't take it anymore." She said as she pulled out her personal cell and opened up her text messages, "So, I'm going to text Mike and see if he could take over."

Sam laughed as he shook his head, "Nothing has changed at all."

"And nothing ever will with her." Mercedes sent the text, placing both of her phones back in her purse. Looking back up at him, smiling, "What were you and your daughter whispering about over there?"

"Father and daughter business, mother your way out." Sam smirked, ignoring the small hit from her fist to his shoulder. He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her lips, "I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled up at him as she leaned up and pressed another kiss to his lips.

"Alright old people, let me pay and we can head out." Danielle said as she walked passed them, smirking to herself when they rolled their eyes at her. She would never get tired of messing with them.

* * *

Danielle squealed internally once she saw the turtle underneath the water, swimming back to the surface. Today was her twentieth birthday and it had started off amazing. Her mom and dad both surprised her with a huge breakfast, beautiful jewelry as gifts and a busy morning in the ocean. They had been scuba diving, parasailing and now, they were just finishing up snorkeling.

Mercedes sat back on the towel, laughing loudly as she took off the goggles. She looked over at Sam and she couldn't help but let her laughter flow out.

"It's not funny." Sam said with a pout as he laid back, rubbing the side of his nose, "I can't believe a damn fish bit my nose."

Mercedes tucked her lips in, placing her hands over her mouth as she snorted uncontrollably. She knew she shouldn't be laughing because he probably was in pain but she couldn't help it. She saw him giving her a death glare and she smiled, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his cheek, hearing him grunt, she rolled her eyes and kissed him dramatically on his lips before pulling back with a loud smack, "Such a drama king."

"I know but my nose really does hurt." Sam said with a smirk, pointing towards the redden tip, "Fucking fish."

Mercedes shook her head as she ran her finger slowly against it, watching as he tilted his head and stared at her, smiling, "What?"

"I love you." He said as he reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers together.

She smiled as she bent down and kissed his cheek, "I love you too."

Danielle twisted her hair so the water could come out when she got back on the boat, grabbing her towel and wiping her face before wrapping it around her waist. She climbed up the ladder and spotted her parents, smiling when she noticed that all too familiar stare they were giving each other. They were so in love with each other, it wasn't even funny. She walked over to where they were and plopped down between them.

"Having fun?"

"Yes. This has literally been the best birthday ever. I'm so glad it's just the three of us."

"I for one am so happy that you are having a good time." Sam said as he looked at her, "I thought it would be cool if we combined our family trip with your birthday for the simple fact that we needed to get away for a minute, I wanted to spend some much needed alone time with my two favorite girls and on top of that, I-I get to spend your birthday with you."

Mercedes played with her necklace as she watched him closely, hearing him choke up a little, she reached for his hand and gave him a comforting squeeze.

"I'm so happy for that too." She said with a smile on her face as she looked at him, eyebrows furrowing, "Did you hit your nose on something?"

Sam groaned as he laid back down, ignoring the laughter coming from Mercedes, mumbling, "A fish nibbled at it."

Danielle sat up and stared at him, trying to see if he was serious or not. But when she heard her mother cracking up, she knew it was true. She tucked her lips into her mouth and stood up, giggling as she pointed to the bottom level of the boat, "I-I'm going to go lay out."

"Okay sweetheart." Mercedes said as she watched her leave, turning back to Sam, she shook her head as she stood up. Grabbing her phone, she unlocked it and went to her music section, scrolling down until she found a song. When she did, she leaned over and put it on the dock and turned the volume up a bit. She walked back over and stared down at Sam with a smile, holding out her hand, "Dance with me."

 _My mind runs away to you_

 _With a thought I'd hope you'll see_

 _Can't see where it's wandered to_

 _But I know where it wants to be_

Sam grabbed her hand and stood to his feet, wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her close, sending her a crooked grin, "At least try to. You know I can't dance."

Mercedes chuckled as she place her arms around his neck, "Yeah, I forgot you are really bad." She smiled when he smacked his lips, causing her to press a kiss against them, mumbling, "But I still love you."

 _I'm waiting patiently though time is moving slow_

 _I have one vacancy and I wanted you to know that_

 _You're the one designed for me_

 _A distant stranger that I will complete_

 _I know you're out there, we're meant to be_

 _So keep your head up and make it to me_

 _And make it to me_

Sam smiled at her as they swayed side from side, watching as she laid her head down in his chest. He let out a content sigh as he held her a little bit tighter.

 _So sick of this lonely air_

 _It seems such a waste of breath_

 _So much that I need to share_

 _So much to get off my chest_

 _I'm waiting patiently though time is moving slow_

 _I have one vacancy and I wanted you to know that_

 _You're the one designed for me_

 _A distant stranger that I will complete_

 _I know you're out there, we're meant to be_

 _So keep your head up and make it to me_

 _Make it to me_

 _Make it to me_

 _Make it to me_

Mercedes couldn't help but feel at ease. Not only because they were having a wonderful and relaxing time on this trip but because she was in the arms of the man she loved. This was a fresh start for them and she was so happy to be getting a second chance at this. That's why, she didn't want to waste anymore time, "Let's get married."

Sam heard her speak just as the song went off, pulling back, he saw the seriousness on her face, "Right now?"

"Of course not right now, we're in the middle of the ocean." Mercedes snorted when he pursed his lips, "But when we get back on land, yes. Unless you don't want too."

"No, no..I do. I just didn't think that you would be the one who would want to elope. I mean.." Sam shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in order, taking a deep breath, "I don't want you to regret this. I want you to have the wedding of your dreams. The dress, overdoing wedding planning, overpriced everything, your bridezilla moments.."

"Sam, I don't care about those things, you know that." Mercedes cut him off with a smile as she stared up at him, "I have never been the type of girl who has to have it that way. Wait, let me backtrack. I never expected that I would even get married. Honestly, I can do without all of it. I want to marry you. And the people who matter the most are already here. You and Dani."

"Speaking of her, did she talk to you about this?"

"Eloping?" Mercedes asked, seeing him nod, she gave him a strange look before shaking her head, "No, was she suppose to?"

"Well, yeah. She had mentioned this yesterday and I told her to talk to you but.." Sam said as he stared at her, a smile creeping on his face, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, yes, and yes." She said in between the kisses as she wrapped his arms back around his neck, "If it's okay with you."

"Pass okay with me. I wanted to get married right when I put that ring on your finger." He spoke truthfully as he kissed her again, "So, we're really going to get married in Hawaii?"

Mercedes nodded her head, smirking to herself, "Yes sir." She leaned over and looked down, seeing their daughter fast asleep in the sun. She snickered as she shook her head and turned back to Sam, raising a brow, "We have a good twenty minutes until she wakes up."

"Yep, I see where this is going." His eyes brighten with excitement as he pulled her inside, her contagious laughter making his heart beat even faster. This woman was surely going to be the death of him and he didn't mind one bit.

* * *

 **A/N. There's a part two you guys, hope you enjoyed this update! Timeout from all the drama for while & on with the love! Now, Sam has a gift for Dani when they get back home. Mercedes doesn't know about it and what he has is going to leave everyone speechless. ;) Have a great week y'all! **


	31. Our New Reality

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **Hopeless Romantic- Meghan Trainor**

 **My Love- Jess Glynne**

* * *

 _Ever after comes after we meet_

 _I think the movies were lying to me_

 _Oh my, how they lie_

 _Know I'm ready to give you my heart_

 _Just gotta find you so we can start_

 _Oh yeah, but till then_

 _I gotta be patient_

 _But I'm tired of waiting_

 _I'm just a hopeless romantic_

 _Looking for love_

 _I'd risk it all just to have it_

 _I wouldn't take it for granted_

 _I'm just a hopeless romantic_

 _Not giving up_

 _Cause I deserve to find my own_

 _I can feel it in my bones_

 _Yes, I know you're somewhere close_

 _Giving me hope_

 _Bet we met at a party before_

 _You were sweet and held open the door_

 _Oh my, I should've said hi_

 _So if you're out there_

 _And hearing this song_

 _Just know I'm here_

 _And you're taking too long_

 _Baby, come and find me_

 _Cause I've been so patient_

 _And I'm sick of waiting_

 _I'm just a hopeless romantic_

 _Looking for love_

 _I'd risk it all just to have it_

 _I wouldn't take it for granted_

 _I'm just a hopeless romantic_

 _Not giving up_

 _Cause I deserve to find my own_

 _I can feel it in my bones_

 _Yes, I know you're so_

 _Giving me hope, oh yes, you are_

 _Under these stars and under the moon_

 _Searching for me and I'm looking for you_

 _Show me you're out there Tell me you_

 _You're just a hopeless romantic_

 _And you're looking for love_

 _You'd risk it all just to have it You wouldn't take it for granted_

 _I'm just a hopeless romantic_

 _Looking for love I'd risk it all just to have it_

 _I wouldn't take it for granted_

 _I'm just a hopeless romantic_

 _Not giving up_

 _Cause I deserve to find my own_

 _I can feel it in my bones_

 _Yes, I know you're somewhere close_

 _Giving me hope_

Danielle hummed the last part as she slowed down her fingers on the strings, jumping when she heard someone clapping their hands. Turning around, she had her hand over her chest when she saw her dad coming out, "Geez, you scared me."

"Sorry." Sam said as he closed the screen door behind him, making his way over to sit on the swing with her, "You didn't tell me you could sing or play the guitar."

"My voice is average." Danielle smiled as she laid the instrument on her lap, "As for guitar, I've been playing since I was eight. It was kind of the only thing I loved to do, maybe cause it had to do with the fact that mom told me you played."

Sam smiled at her as he placed his arm around her shoulders, "We should duet one day."

"Most definitely." Danielle giggled as she laid her head on his shoulder, "I'm actually glad you came out here. I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay."

Danielle took a calming breath before speaking again, looking out towards the backyard, "Since you and mom are married now, I want to change my last name." She lifted her head to look at him, "I've been wanting to do it for awhile but right now seems like the perfect time to do so."

"As long as you want to do it, I have no problem with it. We can fill out the paperwork tonight and I can send it to my lawyer if you want." Sam smiled when she nodded, "I'm glad you brought that up because there's something I need to talk to you about as well. Remember when I said I had your birthday gift for you when we got back?"

"Yeah." She said slowly as she watched him reach into his pocket, pulling out an envelope and handing it to her. She smiled as she took it from him and opened it up, pulling the card out. She read the front before opening it completely, eyebrows twitching up when she saw a receipt like paper. She picked it up and saw that her name was on it, reading carefully. As her eyes got to the bottom right side, her eyebrows twitched up in confusion before looking at it again, "Um, dad?"

"Yes?"

Danielle was going to ask him a question but stopped short when she realized what she was holding, "Oh my god." Her eyes went wide as she stared at the numbers, "Dad, please tell me this is not what I think it is."

Sam laughed at her reaction as he folded his arms, "It is."

"Lord, that's really a lot of zeroes." Danielle replied quietly as she took her eyes away from the numbers, "Why are you giving me all this?"

"I have several reasons why but my main one is because you're my daughter and I want you to have it." Sam shrugged as he leaned back on the swing, "You are a responsible and trustworthy young woman. You're entering real adulthood and I just want you to be good. It's yours, you can do whatever you want with it but always remember to use and maintain it wisely."

Danielle eyes went back to the paper and she released a slow breath, "I feel like thank you isn't enough but I'm going to say it anyways. Thank you, thank you, thank you dad. This is seriously unbelievable." She looked at him and gave him a sweet smile before putting the stub back into the card, placing her guitar on the side of her. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around him for hug, "I love you dad, so much. I just can't believe mom let you give me this."

"Trust me, you don't want to know about the conversation we had." It was twenty at first but Mercedes had made him cut it down. Sam winced at the memory as he hugged her back, kissing the side of her head, "I love you too."

Danielle smiled as she leaned back, "Can I open up an account at the private bank you use?"

"Of course. Matter of fact, we can go down there tomorrow to sign some papers and get you a pin number."

"Sounds great dad." She said as she picked up her guitar, turning so that she was facing him, "How about another song from my mediocre voice?"

Sam chuckled as he listened to her begin to play another song. The gift he gave her was something he had been thinking about for awhile. Sure, he could've brought her a traditional birthday gift like a car but now, she could get it herself if she wanted to. Was it overtop to give a twenty year old four million dollars for her birthday? Probably so but he didn't give a damn. This was his daughter and he would do anything for her.

* * *

Mercedes sniffled as she walked down the stairs, coughing into her arm as her glasses slid down her nose. This was so unusual for her. She's hasn't been sick in a very long time so her being just that was really agitating.

Cassie poured a big spoonful of the homemade chicken soup into the bowl for her sister. When she called her this morning asking if she could make her some of her feel good soup, she came right over. Sitting the bowl on the tray, she grabbed a few saltines, two ginger ales bottles and put them on as well. Hearing feet hitting the floor, she looked up, "Why are you out of bed?"

"I can't stay in there any longer, I'm suffocating." She whined as she looked at her through her puffy eyes, pushing her glasses on her face.

"Go on the couch then. Get off your feet, now." Cassie commanded, watching as she frowned at her before walking away in a huff. She picked up the disinfected spray and sprayed where she was before sitting it down. Turning back around, she headed over to the counter and picked up the tray, walking into the room, she saw her laid out on the big couch, snuggled up with the pillows, "This is what happens when take care of everyone but yourself."

Mercedes watched as she sat the things on the table and took a seat beside her, "I take care of myself.." She started as she placed the tissues over her nose when she sneezed, looking up at Cassie with a guilty eyes, watching the younger girl frown at her, "I d-do."

"Save that lie." Cassie said as she picked up the bowl, moving the spoon around before placing a generous amount on it. She blew to cool it down before bringing to the woman's lips, "Open up."

Mercedes did what she was told, swallowing the delicious broth, veggies, chicken and noddles. She moaned lowly as she closed her eyes, savoring the taste as she reached her hands out, "I can feed myself."

"I'm not so sure, you look weak as hell." Cassie said as she scanned her face, seeing her eyes pop open with a glare, she gave her a smile before handing her the bowl, "Here, be careful."

Mercedes took the bowl and picked up the spoon, beginning to eat the delicious soup. She turned her head to the side when she heard Sam's voice coming from the tv, seeing that he was giving a rundown on the end of March Madness, sniffling, "He sounds even sexier through the screen."

Cassie laughed at her as she laid back, picking up her drink from the table, "Did he dye his hair while y'all were gone?"

"Yes, it was suppose to be a dirty blonde color but it just ended up being all the way dark brown." She mumbled before picking up the bowl and placing the rim to her mouth, slurping down the rest, "He spotted a gray hair the other night and is honestly having a hard time accepting he's getting old."

Cassie snorted as she threw her head back in laughter, "I can't." She turned to the side with a smile on her face, "You know mom is going to be upset that you eloped right?"

"I know." Mercedes sniffled as she sat the bowl on the tray, grabbing the row of crackers and ginger ale, "But I'm happy with what I did."

"So what was it like?"

Mercedes chewed on the saltine and laid her head against the couch pillow, staring at the woman with a big smile, "It was really special."

 _Danielle pinned up her hair as she looked in the mirror, stepping into her heels. She dropped her hands and rubbed her lip gloss covered lips together before exiting out the room. She was super giddy for today. Her parents were getting married and she was passed excited. Of course it wasn't in the traditional way but she didn't care. As long as they were happy. Making her way down the stairs, she spotted her mom walking out into the foyer, "Oh my god, mom."_

 _Mercedes turned around as she placed her ring on her finger, looking at her confusedly, "What's wrong?"_

 _"Nothing, you just look beautiful." Dani said with a smile as she took in her mom's outfit. She had on a red and beige sleeveless Naeem Khan floral-embroidered raffia lace dress paired with a pair of nude ankle strap patent leather sandals. Her hair was full of curls but styled into a half up and half down style, makeup was fabulously done with the signature red lips, "Aw, thank you sweetheart. You look beautiful as well."_

 _Danielle smiled as she curtsied, earning a giggle from her, "Thank you my love." She stood up straight again and smoothed her hands down the beige off the shoulder cotton crepe mini dress paired with a pair of red schutz sandals, "This red and beige don't look too bad, aye?"_

 _Mercedes chuckled as she shook her head, "Not bad at all. You know for such a last minute ordeal, you sure know how to get things together."_

 _"It's my calling." And she wasn't lying about that. Somehow Danielle had got the courthouse to open up on a Sunday and she wouldn't let them know how, "I'm a great persuader with killer big brown eyes."_

 _Mercedes smiled as she wrapped her arm around her shoulders, hearing her phone ding, she lift up her hand and stared at the screen, "It's your dad, he says that he's going to meet us there."_

 _"Great, let get this show on the road." Danielle said as she picked up her bag and placed it on her shoulder, holding out her hand for her to take._

 _Mercedes picked up the keys to the house, grabbing her daughter's hand. Once they made it outside, she locked the door behind her and headed towards the truck._

 _Danielle rubbed her mom's hand as she looked at her, "Nervous?"_

 _"Yeah." Mercedes admitted as she turned to her, "I mean, this is something I've always wanted with your dad. He's the reason I couldn't commit to anyone else, even with all the bs that went on, deep down, I still wanted him."_

 _"You know he told me the same thing. He said that he tried to move on and date but it didn't work out. The only person he kept thinking about was you." She said with a smile, "You two have true, pure love."_

 _"I guess we do, huh?" Mercedes smiled when she nodded, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and kissing the side of her head, "I love you kid."_

 _"I love you too, mom." Danielle smiled as she laid her head down on her shoulder. They sat in a comfortable silence for the next forty minutes as they traveled to Kaneohe._

 _Mercedes heard the driver announced the arrival as he came to a stop. She smiled when he opened the door for her and held out his hand for her to take so she could get out. Taking it, she stepped out carefully, thanking him before he repeated the actions with Danielle._

 _"Welcome to our courthouse. Not your average size one but it fits well with our community." The driver said as he watched the two women take in the small building. He sent the a smile before gesturing, "Allow me to take you to where you need to be."_

 _Danielle looped her arm around her mother's as they followed the man inside. Looking around as they walked in, doing a double take. It definitely did not look like a courthouse, it had a homey look and vibe to it, "Oooo, look at the flowers."_

 _Mercedes eyes followed her line of sight and sure enough as they turned down the hall were flower arrangements._

 _"And this is where I leave you ladies. Just walk through those doors and you'll be at your destination. Congratulations to you both and wish you a happy and successful life."_

 _"Thank you so much." Mercedes told the man before he nodded and walked away, turning back to Danielle, she watched as she handed her a bouquet._

 _"Show time mommy." Danielle said as she stood in front of her and fixed her hair a bit, smiling as she stared back into those familiar brown eyes, "You look radiant. I know you're nervous so just take calming breaths."_

 _Mercedes took a breather as she closed her eyes, saying a prayer before she went in. This was it. She was about to be married to the love of her life and she couldn't wait._

 _Danielle watched her mom open her eyes back up and she sent her a smile, "Ready?"_

 _"Yes ma'am."_

 _Danielle tighten her grip on her arm a little bit more before they started walking again. Going through the doors, she smiled once she saw him speaking to the pastor. Danielle only had limited time to get things together for today but she worked it out. One, She made sure she got an officiant to do it because she knew that was something her parents wanted. Two, when she went shopping last night for today, she didn't know what color scheme to look for but somehow red caught her eye. She didn't want it to be an overwhelming amount of red so she had her dad dress up in a white long-sleeved dress shirt, beige long pants paired with chestnut colored oxfords. She took a second look at him for a minute, realizing how much he really did look like a baseball player at the moment with his hair pulled up into that mini man bun, snickering to herself._

 _"Wow." Sam said as he stared at them with a smile, meeting them half-way, he hugged Dani first before moving over to Mercedes, "You both look beautiful."_

 _"Thanks dad." Danielle said as she walked around the two, heading towards the front._

 _"You look handsome." Mercedes said as scanned his face with a smile before a giggle escaped her mouth, "Your little bun and beard is growing on me."_

 _Sam smirked as he grabbed her hand, placing a kiss to her cheek, "Ready?" Seeing her nod, he turned back and headed back to the front. He introduced Mercedes to the man as they stood side by side._

 _"Alright Mr. Evans and Ms. Jones." He started as he held his bible in his hands, "We're just going to dive right into this. No sense in prolonging any longer right?"_

 _"Amen." Danielle said with a nod, earning a chuckle from the three adults._

 _"So with that being said, don't worry Ms. Jones, Aunhea was my older sister so I've known your fiancé for awhile and I know your story." He smiled at them, "So, you can trust me and when I say that our little town is a safe haven. You don't have to worry about any of this getting out."_

 _Mercedes felt a sense of relief when the man stated what he did. It was really nice to hear that from him. She turned to face Sam, watching as he grabbed her other hand, "Okay." She said quietly as she took a deep breath, looking into Sam's eyes, "I didn't want to write anything down because I wanted to speak from my heart. I love you, Sam..so much. I never thought that we would make it here but I'm glad we did. We've been through a lot but we got through it and still is." She sniffled, feeling her eyes starting to water as she gave him a small smile, her next statement caused everyone one to chuckle, "I'm glad I gave you that chance in ninth grade. To be honest, I'm glad you did chase because knowing little ole me, I wouldn't have ever looked your way." She took her hand and wiped her tears away, "I really suck at this but I just want you to know that I love you. You are an amazing man, wonderful father and I know without a doubt, that you're going to be an incredible husband. I'm so happy to have you back in my life and I can't wait to officially be your wife."_

 _Sam cleared his throat, feeling himself getting emotional as he listened to her. Seeing her cry always broke his heart but hearing the sincerity of what she was saying literally made him want to burst out in tears, "Now how the hell am I suppose to follow that?" He chuckled to himself, smiling, "Mercedes, I am to glad that I chased you back then. I think, no, scratch that..I know I was heads over heels in love with you when I first saw you. A beauty with brains is what I always called you." Dammit Sam, he chastised himself when he felt his lips starting to tremble, "We had a lot of good memories from the past. A lot that outweighed the b-bad." Danielle cursed underneath her breath when she started crying, "I love you so much and I promise I will not let a day go by without you knowing it. You are my forever and I'm not going to let anything or anyone take you away from me again. This is our second chance and I'm going to fulfill every bit of it. There's this quote that I always kept in the back of my mind and I want to share it with you." He learned forward and wiped the tears from her eyes, "Love is patient, love is kind and what our love express is true. No amount of tragedy can tear or break the love I have for you. I love you so much, never forget that."_

 _The man smiled as he looked between the couple, "Do you, Mercedes, take this man to be your husband?"_

 _"I do." Mercedes smiled as she looked at Sam, holding onto his hand tight._

 _"You didn't even need to ask me, I do." Sam spoke up, earning a laugh from the officiant. He pulled the silver wedding band from his pocket and slid it on her left hand._

 _Mercedes smiled as Dani placed the band she got for Sam in her hand. Lifting it up, she slid it on his finger and watched as his eyes went wide. Yep, she knew for sure she picked the right one. The white gold band had engraved stitches that resembled the baseball stitching._

" _By the state of Hawaii, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride."_

 _Sam barely let the man get his words out before he pulled Mercedes to him, pressing his lips down onto hers, causing Dani to clap loudly. It was finally done. This beautiful woman was officially his wife._

"And after that, we got our marriage licenses, went out to eat and ended up at luau that night."

"That was so sweet." Cassie said as she wiped the tear from her eyes, looking through the pictures Mercedes handed her midway through, "Those vows are goals to be honest and these pictures are beautiful."

Mercedes smiled as she laid her head down, "Yeah, it was pretty amazing. It's one day I will never forget, ever."

Cassie nodded as she looked at her, "When are y'all going to move in with him?"

"We're in the process of doing it now. Me and Dani are just packing and moving things over slowly. So I'll say in about the next two weeks." M-Mercedes sniffled as she stared at her, "I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"This house..I don't want to put it up on the market. I mean, this was the first home I brought when I moved back and it's a lot of memories here. I guess what I'm trying to say is, do you think you and Liam would want to move out of that small apartment and.." She barely got her words out before the woman attacked her with a hug. She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her, "I guess that's a yes."

"More like hell yes." Cassie smiled as she pulled back, "You know we've been thinking about buying a house for awhile and put money aside but it's not enough. Oh my god Mercedes, this is a blessing and you know we will pay you whatever you want in rent.."

"Cassie, shut up. You're making my head hurt worse with that nonsense." Mercedes rubbed her forehead as she closed her eyes, "I don't want you two to pay rent, I'm giving you the house. The mortgage is paid off so the only thing you guys will need to pay is the water and electricity bills."

"Thank you Mercedes, seriously." She said quietly as she looked down, taking a deep breath before letting out a small laugh, "I stand by what I said earlier. You always look after everyone before yourself."

"Y'all are my babies, and the only reason I'm letting you and Liam have this because I see you two lasting a very long time." She said with a smile, not opening her eyes, "That bond and love you have is strong."

"Much like you and Sam." She smiled as she watched her nod, hearing her breathing evening out, she knew that all the medicine she gave her earlier had kicked in. She sat up and pulled the blanket over her, standing up from the couch, she picked up their dishes and took it into the kitchen. She was going to stay with her for awhile to make sure she was okay and just lay down as well because she took some medicine earlier too.

* * *

 _There's nothing more that I would have that I could need '_

 _Cause having this means that I've got it all_

 _When I was taking turns and you were wrong for me_

 _You chose to understand and let it go_

 _And oh, you've turned this black heart, made it into gold_

 _So I wanna let you know that_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my love_

 _Oh, love_

 _Control is such an open-ended word for me_

 _Something that I used to think I owned_

 _I'm standing here with none, I'm feeling so complete_

 _You helped me understand to let it go_

 _And oh, you've turned this black heart made it into gold_

 _So I wanna let you know that_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my love_

 _Stay close to me, love_

 _Stay close to me, yeah, love_

 _Stay close to me, love_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my_

 _My love and my touch, up above is made with the warmth of my love_

Sam walked into the house, seeing the lights off and how quiet it was, he knew for sure that the two women were probably upstairs. He turned the corner and stopped in his tracks when he spotted them on the couch sleep, a smile taking over his features. Shaking his head, he walked in and scanned the table that was full of cold medicine, crackers, and ginger ale. He went over and pulled the covers over Cassie when he saw her curled up into a ball. Then, he circled around the table to go to his wife. Wife. That's felt amazing to finally say. He looked down at her with a smile as he bent down to move her glasses from her face, seeing her start to move, he whispered, "Sorry."

"It's okay."

Sam watched as she opened her eyes and he moved her hair from out of her face, "How are you feeling?"

"A little better." She said as she sat up slowly, looking to the side when she heard little snores, "She took great care of me."

"I can tell." He chuckled as he sat on the arm of the couch, staring down at her, "Do you need anything?"

"Do you want to cuddle with the sick patient?" She held out her arms, mustering a smile as she looked him, "I promise I'll nurse you back to health if you get sick."

Sam laughed quietly as he slid down beside her on the couch, wrapping his arm around her waist as he pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Mercedes laid her head down on his chest, sniffling as she closed eyes, his slow breathing putting her back to sleep.

Sam looked down when she tighten her grip around his waist, smiling as he leaned his head back on the pillow. He wasn't going to be moving anytime soon and that was okay. As long as his wife was comfortable, so was he.

* * *

 **A/N. Okay, pause. Sam gave Dani four million dollars! Lmao, y'all seriously, I wish someone would give me that much money, I'd love them forever. Anyways, some may ask why would he give her that, hell it's his daughter for one and two, he can give her whatever he wants. And before anyone says it because I know someone will find a way to, he's not trying to buy her love. Why would he need to? What do a 20 year old need with that much money & what will she do with it? Remember you guys, this is Sam and Mercedes kid we're talking about and you already know what kind of person she is. Alright, Cassie and Mercedes relationship is everything. You guys will get to see more interactions with her other siblings but these two are super close. That wedding was sweet, short & to the point. I loved it & if you want to see their outfits, it's posted on my Tumblr (twrites1)! Now, when this story picks up next update, there are a few surprises! I'll give you one sneak peek..there's going to be a time jump. ;) **


	32. A Year Of Changes

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **ONE YEAR TIME JUMP, MID NOVEMBER.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

"And before we let you go, I want to give you, the viewers, our athlete of the week." Gigi smiled at the camera before turning to her co-hosts, Sam and Nate, "Now, gentlemen. This is my week to pick and you know I'm all about girl power."

Nate chuckled as he leaned back in his chair, "Of course."

"So with that being said, my pick for this week is none other than our favorite ex-baseball player's daughter." Gigi said with a smile as she turned back to the camera, "That's right ladies and gents. Sam's daughter, Danielle, is my athlete of the week. If you didn't know, Danielle is a cheerleader at Georgia Tech. Competition season opened up this past weekend in Destin. Play the clips please." Gigi told one of the producers before she continued to talk, "She competed in two solo tumbling comps and came first in both. Let me just say, she was amazing."

Sam nodded in agreement as he took a sip of his tea before speaking again, "I may be bias because she's my daughter but she was definitely the best out there."

"No joke, my favorite was the five continuation cartwheel thingy that turned into..a what's it called?" Nate asked, earning chuckles from the whole studio once he got it, "A full twist. That's it. Wow, it was so cool."

"That was my favorite too. I mean, you have to maintain stamina and balance. She nailed that as y'all can tell. Plus, it doesn't help the fact that her bubbly personality made it ten times better." Gigi complimented as she crossed her legs, turning in her chair to look at Sam when he started speaking.

"She's definitely a joy but also very passionate and hardworking. That showed when she competed Sunday. I'm so, so proud of her."

"As you should be. She's beyond amazing, and extremely talented. She must've of gotten that from her mother." Gigi smirked, causing everyone in the studio laugh, earning an eye roll from Sam. She giggled as she turned back to the camera, "That's all the time we have for today y'all, see you tomorrow morning."

"And cut, good show everyone. Nice one at the end Gi."

Gigi smiled brightly before stacking her papers, "Classic fun. Isn't that right Sam?"

Sam rolled his eyes as he grabbed his cup, standing up from his seat, mumbling to himself as he walked away. A smile began to twitch up on his face when he saw someone waiting for him, "Well, this is a surprise."

Mercedes smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips quickly before moving back, "You know why I'm here." Hearing him grunt, she laughed as she shook her head, waving at some of the crew when they spoke to her. Seeing Gigi making her way over, she snorted when Sam pulled her away and quickly led her down the hall to his office.

Sam shut and locked the door behind him, "We're not talking to her at the moment." He watched as Mercedes dropped her bag with a laugh and took a seat on the couch. He sat his cup down on his desk before going to sit by her, a pout on his face when he saw her going into her bag, "Do I have to do this?"

"Yes." Mercedes giggled as she set up everything, ripping open the alcohol pad.

"I don't even know how I got diabetes. I'm healthy and I don't eat sweets." He winced when she grabbed his hand and wiped the tip of his index finger.

"It's hereditary." Mercedes said as picked up the meter, placing a test strip on before grabbing his finger, "Let's just be thankful it isn't type two."

"Fuck." He whispered harshly when the needle broke through his skin, biting down on his lip as he watched the blood immediately come out.

Mercedes waited until the blood was on the test strip before handing him a new alcohol pad for his finger. Sam had found out a couple of months ago from his doctor that he had diabetes when he went in for a check up. Since he doesn't like needles, Mercedes is the one who checks his sugar for him, "It's looks good." She raised her eyes to look back at him, giggling at the pouty look on his face, "You're such baby. I know little kids who don't even flinch when they get this done."

"I hate needles." He frowned slightly before turning to her, seeing her smile only made him do so as well, "I'm a jerk. I didn't even ask how you were. How are you doing, my love?"

Mercedes puffed out her cheeks as she cleaned up everything, "The usual. Tired, hungry and fat."

Sam smiled as he leaned over and pecked her lips lightly, "With reason though and you're not fat, just carrying some precious cargo."

Mercedes smiled as she looked down at her stomach that was definitely definitely poking out against her scrubs. Yep, Mercedes just hit her seventh month of pregnancy today, "Sometimes I wonder how I got here again."

"Come on Mercedes, I don't think I need to explain the birds and bees to you." Sam chuckled when she pushed his shoulder, smiling as he placed his hands on her stomach, "I'm just kidding, I know what you meant."

Mercedes giggled as she leaned back, staring at him for a moment, "It's different this time around because I have you."

"I know." He said quietly before raising his eyes to look at her, giving her a small smile, "I can't count how many times I have cried since you found out. It's definitely bittersweet. A mix of happiness and sadness."

"Happiness because you're here this time and sadness because you missed a lot with Dani." She said knowingly, watching him nod solemnly.

"But like we always say, no matter how much it hurts, the past is the past. We can't change it. I'm so thankful that I get a second chance at this. I'm going to get to be here for our little girl and nothing or no one is going to take that away."

"I should be crying right now, I really should because what you just said was hell of powerful but I think this pregnancy is making me a stone cold emotionless bitch." Mercedes said honestly as she looked at him in all seriousness, seeing a smile twitching on his lips, "I'm so serious babe. Like, I haven't cried once. When I was pregnant with Dani, I was a mess. I cried at everything. And now with this baby, I'm like a worse version of Santana and Reece combined."

 _That is true_ Sam thought, not daring to say it out loud because she would definitely make him sleep on the couch.

"But I am glad that you get a second chance. Having you here with me means absolutely everything." She smiled as she kissed his cheek, grunting lowly when she felt the little girl move down to her bladder, "Jesus, this kid of yours is having me at the bathroom every two minutes."

"How come she's only my kid when she does something bad?" Sam laughed as he stood up from the couch, holding out his hands for her to grab.

"She will take that trait from you, just like Dani did." She giggled as she stood up, seeing him roll his eyes, only made her laugh louder, "Don't give me that eye roll you just gave Gigi on live television. She was only telling the truth."

"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled as he grabbed her hand, wrapping his arms around her, he smirked down, "Do you have to go back into work?"

"Not until nine, why?" She raised a brow, seeing that look on his face, she frowned lightly, "No, no, nope. One, move out my way because I have to pee and two, no. You're not getting laid right now."

"Oh come on, you know you need a little TLC." He whispered, holding in his laughter when he saw the frown deepen on her lips, " _I wanna love you, PYT._ "

"Stop." Mercedes mouth twitched, tucking her lips into her mouth as she shook her head.

" _Pretty young thang._ " He snorted when she pushed away from him, watching as she waddled to the restroom. He smiled as he turned around and headed to his desk, taking a seat in his chair. He was beyond happy with his life right now

* * *

Danielle crossed her legs as she sat back in the chair, texting as she waited for her parents to come. Today, they were here for her mother's checkup. Every since she has been pregnant, she has been to all of her appointments. She was so excited to be getting a little sister. She has always wanted a sibling growing up and she couldn't believe that she was finally getting one.

Sam held onto Mercedes' hand as they entered the building, looking down at her with a smile, "You ready?"

"Of course." She smiled back at him before looking ahead, seeing Dani, she walked over the girl and tapped her shoulder.

Danielle looked up from her phone and smiled when she saw her parents, "Hey." She greeted as she stood up, giving her mother and father a hug before pulling back, "You're up next." She barely got out before the nurse opened the door and called for her. Chuckling, she placed her phone into the pocket of her sweater as she followed behind them.

Sam stood back beside Dani as they watched the nurse get Mercedes' weight and temperature. He tucked in his lips when he saw how annoyed Mercedes was getting when the nurse started talking.

"Your temp is good, Mrs. Evans. You gain a healthy fourteen pounds, which is not bad."

Danielle let out a quiet giggle at the death glare her mom was giving the nurse. She watched her write in the chart before her eyes went over to her dad.

"Let's get you to a room." She said with a smile before turning on her heels and walking down the hallway.

Sam helped his wife back into her Uggs, snickering when he heard her cursing underneath her breath. He stood back up and grabbed her hand, leading her to the room.

Danielle sat in one of the seats, crossing her legs as she watched her parents. She smiled as she watched her dad help her mother up and pressed a kiss to her lips before coming to take a seat beside her. They were so adorable, it was so sweet.

Mercedes hummed out lowly as she crossed her ankles, eyes going over to her two favorite people, "So my sweeties, I was thinking we could start on the nursery tomorrow."

Danielle nodded excitedly, "I'm down. I can come right after cheer practice."

"And I have a segment to do tomorrow at the Georgia Dome but I will definitely love to start."

"Great." Mercedes said with a smile as she place her hands on her lower back, sighing a bit as she closed her eyes.

"Is she kicking?" Danielle asked as she leaned forward, smiling brightly as she placed her hands on her stomach when she nodded, "Oh my god, she is moving a lot."

Sam smiled as he looked at the happiness that was spread across his daughter's face. It absolutely heart warming to see how she lit up whenever she interacted with her little sister. It was going to be simply beautiful to actually see them interact when she was born. He lifted his head when he heard a knock on the door, following by it opening and showcasing Mercedes' doctor.

"Hello everyone." Dr. Fisher smiled as he came in, closing the door behind him as he moved in, placing the chart on the counter as they all spoke, "How are we doing, mommy?"

"Just tired, that's all."

"Normal." He said as he dried his hands from washing them, pulling out a pair of gloves and putting them on as he turned back around, "Dad and big sis, how's she doing at home?"

"She's doing great. I've been making sure she doesn't get stressed out and stays off of her feet."

"And I made her cut her hours at work, much to her dismay." Sam smiled triumphantly as he crossed his arms, earning a chuckle from both Dr. Fisher and Dani.

"Excellent you two." Dr. Fisher said as he turned off the lights, walking back over by the bed and sitting down on his stool, "Lay back for me please."

Mercedes nodded as she scooted back, laying her head down on the pillow. She turned her head and watched as he turned on the machine.

"Don't worry, I have some warm gel today." He said as he pulled her shirt back, opening the container and squeezing the gel on.

Mercedes giggled as she looked up at the ceiling, "Thank God."

Sam smiled as he watched the man place the probe on her stomach, moving it around, he looked up and his smile only increased when he saw the baby on the screen.

"She has gotten bigger." Danielle commented with a smile as she looked at the screen, listening to her heartbeat when the doctor switched the sound on.

"Yes she had. This little munchkin is now four in a half pounds." Dr. Fisher said as he moved the probe, "Her heartbeat is really strong too."

"That's good." Mercedes said quietly as she looked over at Sam with a smile, reaching out for his hand.

Sam took hers with a smile, pressing a kiss to it before his eyes went back to the screen.

"We're sticking with the original due date, the tenth of January but honestly, we are on her time so whenever she wants to come out." He chuckled as he snapped a few pictures before removing the probe, "Alright, I'm going to go print these for you. I'll be back."

Danielle stood up from her seat and grabbed a few paper towels, going over to wipe the left over gel from her stomach.

"Thank you, love." Mercedes smiled at her oldest, watching as she nodded and pulled her shirt down for her the helping her sit up. She puffed out her cheeks before turning to them with an innocent smile, "Can we go get some Chipotle now?"

Sam laughed as he stood up from his seat, nodding his head, "Sure baby."

"Um, no. Daddy, you know you and mom are suppose to be eating healthy." Danielle said as she crossed her arms, raising her brow as she looked between the two of them, "We're going to Panera Bread. It has a healthier menu."

"Noo." Sam and Mercedes whined as they gave their daughter a stink eye, knowing deep down she was right but they were both craving the opposite of healthy.

"No nothing. You guys know the deal. Eat healthy through the week and splurge on the weekends. That goes for all of us."

"She gets that bossiness from you." Sam muttered as he folded his arms, letting out a huff just as the doctor came back in.

"Alright, here are your pictures and appointment card. I'll see you in four weeks but if you need me sooner, just drop on by." He handed Mercedes the items, giving a smile as he bided them a good afternoon.

Danielle picked up her purse and put it on her shoulder, "I'll meet you two at PB."

Mercedes watched her walk out with a frown, getting off the bed, "Is it bad that I don't like her very much right now?"

"Not at all." Sam laughed as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "But she is only looking out for us."

"If you say so." Mercedes said with a pout as they walked out of the room. She definitely was going to make plans to stuff herself with Chipotle this weekend but for now, she would entertain this healthy eating.

* * *

Mercedes sat on the floor in the living room, folding up onesies that Sam had surprised her with last night. She was so excited to be getting the nursery done today for the baby. It was already painted a dusty rose color and all they had to do was decorate it. Hearing the doorbell ring, she turned to look down at the security pad to see who it was, unlocking the door from it, "Come in." Mercedes looked up when she heard the door opening, smiling when she saw the familiar face come in, "Hey you, let me see."

Alex chuckled to himself as he walked over to where see was, taking a seat beside her, he leaned over and gave her a hug before smiling.

"You were worried for nothing. You look even more handsome." Mercedes said with a smile as she admired the new set of metal occupying the now fifteen year old's mouth, "Of course you went with blue first."

"Of course." He laughed as he leaned back, scanning the living room, "What are you doing?"

"Getting things folded to put in the nursery, want to help?" She looked to side, smiling when he nodded, "Where's your dad?"

Alex took a deep breath before he picked up one of the blankets and started to fold it, "Outside on the phone with mom."

"Oh." She said softly as she turned to him, "How is she?"

"You want the truth Aunt Mercedes?" Alex turned to the side, "Dad is honestly still pissed for what she said to Dani last year. On top of that, he's still sad that even though the stuff he did was wrong, she left when he needed her the most. But therapy has been really helping him over these past couple of months."

Mercedes nodded as she sat the few little onesies in the basket, "I know."

"You do?"

"Yes." Mercedes turned to look at the teen, "We, meaning your uncle, Dani and I, have actually been to a few of the therapy sessions. Trust me, it wasn't easy but I can say we are all at a point where we are respectful to each other. As for your dad and uncle, they are trying to rebuild their relationship."

"What about you and Dani?"

"I forgive him, I really do. We can't change the past and I'm not going to continue to carry around hatred in my heart." Mercedes stated honestly as she shrugged, "Danielle is stubborn just like her dad but her heart is pure and loving. They're both trying and that's all I can ask them to do."

"That's true." Alex agreed as he picked up one of the onesies, "Have you and Uncle Sam decided on a name yet?"

"Yes we have but we're not telling anyone until she's born." Mercedes giggled when he groaned, bumping his shoulder, "But her initials are N.E.E."

"How am I suppose to figure that out?" The boy laughed as he threw his head back on the couch.

"You just have to think." She responded just as the front door opened again. Turning her head, she gave Saint a small smile once he came in, "Hey Saint."

"Hey Mercedes." He replied as he walked into the living room, holding up a gift bag, "The boys and I brought a gift for the baby but you can't opened it until she gets here."

"That was really sweet of y'all." Mercedes smiled as she grabbed the bag from him, scanning all the pink tissue paper, "I can't wait to see what the three of you bought. It should be interesting."

"And it's useful." Alex piped in with a smile before standing up and sitting on the couch.

"I'm curious now." She said as she placed the bag on the table, turning her head to Saint, "How are you?"

"I'm good. How about you?"

Mercedes nodded as she leaned back against the couch, placing one of her legs on top of the other, "Same."

Danielle took her bag off her shoulder and sat it on the floor, "Mom?" She called out as she dropped her keys in the bowl on the table in the foyer. Hearing voices coming from the living room, she pulled her hat down on her head before placing her hands into her jacket, walking toward the room, "Hello."

"Hey Danielle." They all spoke, watching as the young woman came in the room.

Danielle looked down at her mom with a smile, "I'm going to go take a shower and I'll be back to help."

"Okay sweetie."

Saint heard his phone vibrating in his back pocket and he rolled his eyes, standing up from the couch, "We should get going. We just wanted to stop by and give you the gift for the baby."

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it." Mercedes said sincerely with a smile, hugging Alex when he bent down and hugged her again.

Saint watched him pull away and headed out the room, he sighed to himself as he pulled a book from his large jacket pocket and handed it to Mercedes, "Can you make sure Danielle get this?"

Mercedes looked at the book then back to him, nodding, "Sure. I'll give it to her when she comes back down."

"Thank you, Mercedes." He said as he gave her a smile before walking away.

Mercedes tucked her hair behind her ear and stared back down at the cover. It was blank hardback so it probably was a personal book. She placed it on the table and went back to folding up the onesies.

About fifteen minutes later, Danielle had came down dressed in a long sleeved t-shirt and yoga pants. She went into the living room and plopped down beside her mom and grabbed some of the items.

"Saint left that for you."

Danielle watched as her mom gestured to the book, eyeing it before picking it up, she took a deep breath when she realized what it was, "It's a book his therapist ask him to start writing in when he first started therapy. She said when he finished, it would be good for us to read it, especially dad and I." She turned back to her mom and gave a sad smile, "Is it stupid that I'm so accepting to welcoming him into my life? I mean, am I really stupid for feeling bad for him despite what he did to us?"

"You're not stupid at all baby. You're human." Mercedes paused what she was doing and stared at her, "I know if anyone else was in this situation, they would for sure write Saint off and be done with him. Hell, I was going to do the same but I remember how I was raised. I remembered all the things I have seen being a doctor and trust when I say, I've seen everything. Saint needed help. It was long overdue. And it's sad that he got to the point where he wanted to hurt himself for him to realize that. So by me saying all of this, I'm answering your question. You're not stupid for wanting to forgive him or have him in your life. You and your dad both need to know that nothing is wrong with it."

"We're such nice people, it's killing me." Danielle whispered to herself as she listened to what she was saying, earning a laugh to escape her mother's mouth which caused her to smile.

"It's a blessing and curse at the same damn time."

Danielle nodded in agreement as she put the book down, going back to helping her mom. After she helped with the nursery, she planned on reading it for a clear understanding and the end of her closure.

* * *

 **A/N. What did you guys think of the update? Yes, a lot has happened in a year. Don't you just love Gigi? Lol, I know a lot of you were so worried about her in the beginning but she is absolutely amazing. Mercedes is pregnant again and it's a girl! This pregnancy is something special for them both, as mention. We will be getting flashbacks of when she first found out. Sam has actually been having a hard time with this for obvious reasons but he's going to be okay. Now on with Saint. Eh, I expect to get backlash for this but I don't care. It's my story. Many of you don't think he deserves to be in their lives & that's okay. It's your opinion. But let me just say, it's a lot that went on in a year & if you wait on the flashbacks, you'll see just what happened. And yes, Alex and Mercedes' relationship is everything. She has gotten close with him and Timothy and vice versa. Hope you're following my tumblr (twrites1) because I have some very special announcements coming up soon. :)**


	33. A Year In Review

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

 _The week after the suicide attempt._

"Four months? Am I hearing this right?" Sam asked as he looked at the man in disbelief, seeing him nod his head, he sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Mercedes crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the two boys, who were sleeping on the couch, "That's a really long time away from them."

"I know but I need to go. I need help and this place is going to help me." Saint whispered as he looked away from them and towards the window, "I leave tonight."

"Whoa, w-what? Saint, you literally just got out the hospital and you're about to leave?"

Saint turned to his little brother, "I meant what I said Sam. I want help and I'm going to get it. I hurt so many people for so long and I'll be damn if I continue to do so." His eyes went to his sons and tears immediately began to cloud his vision, "Roxy went to stay with her parents for awhile. I was wondering if you and Mercedes didn't mind, could they stay with you? I'm sorry this is last minute but it's for the best."

"We'll take care of them, don't worry." Mercedes spoke up when she noticed that Sam was unable to respond properly.

Saint nodded before he walked over to the couch, bending down as he shook both of them awake lightly, "Boys.." He gave a sad smile when they slowly started to wake up, "I'm going to be going away for awhile, okay? You're going to stay with Uncle Sam until I get back."

"W-Where are you going, daddy?" Timothy asked as he began to rub the sleep from his eyes, "And where's mom?"

"Daddy is going to get the help he needs and mom is going to spend some time with your grandparents." He sniffled as he stared at them, "I love you both so much, never forget that."

Alex leaned forward and hugged the man around his neck, causing Timothy to do the same. He knew the truth on what was really going on because he dad had told him. He also knew that this was something that his dad needed to do and he was relieved that he was getting the help.

Mercedes wiped the tear that fell from her eye, glancing at Sam, who was running his hand through his hair and shaking his head.

Saint hugged them back tightly, pressing a kiss to both of their foreheads, "I will write and call as much as I can. I love you guys so much."

"We love you too dad." Alex said as he looked at him, feeling his eyes starting to water up.

Saint gave them a final squeeze before standing up, taking a deep breath before he picked up his bag and headed to the front with Sam hot on his heels.

Mercedes went over and sat beside the boys, wrapping her arms around them, "It's going to be okay." She got out just before Timothy laid his head down on her chest, trying to keep his tears at bay.

"Saint.." Sam breathed out for a moment, seeing him turn around, he opened his mouth but nothing would come out.

"Sam, I just want you to know how sorry I am. Seriously, me going to this place, I want to get better and when I come back, I'm hoping that we can rebuild our relationship because you are my brother and I love you, despite what you may think."

Sam watched as he opened the door and walk out, sighing, he went over and pressed his head against the now closed door. He knew he was doing the right thing and he was proud of him for it.

* * *

 _Two days after the suicide attempt._

Reece checked her phone for the address her husband had sent her, looking through the window before making her way into the cafe. She was dead serious about having a conversation with this Roxy chick. Danielle was family to her and when some messes with her family, she doesn't take it lightly. Seeing the blonde on her phone, she took a calming breath as she walked over and pulled out the chair to sit in.

Roxy looked up with a frown plastered on her face when the unknown woman sat down in front of her, "Who the hell are you?"

"A bitch you never want to ever mess with again." She crossed her legs and leaned back, "Let's get some things straight girl. Because that's what you acted like, a little girl. Don't ever come for Danielle in your life."

Roxy scoffed as she crossed her arms, "I guess this is suppose to be some scare tactic..she sends her little hound dog on me."

Reece chuckled as she sat up in her seat, "You are something aren't you?" She watched her shrug and pick up her cup, "You don't feel bad about what you said at all, do you?"

"It was only the truth."

"No it wasn't. None of this was Dani's fault, none of it. She had the right to be angry after all the shit her and her mother have been through." Reece stared at her coldly, "God bless his soul but your husband is a scumbag. If you should be lashing out at anyone, it should be him. He kept a girl from her father, had a teenager raising a kid on her own. Sorry to say, but he drove himself to where he is right now."

Roxy rolled her eyes as she placed her cup down, standing up and grabbing her purse, "I don't need you to tell me anything. Saint is not in the wrong in this. I thought he was at first but now I see why he did it. To avoid all this drama that comes along with her."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Reece asked as she stood up, blocking her way, she stared at her for a few seconds as her lips curled up into a smile, "Avoidance. You don't like to hear the truth. So, let me just say it. You're so pissed that your husband was in love with his brother's girl. That's what you're really mad about, huh?"

Roxy tried to walk around her but she blocked her way again, causing her to speak through gritted teeth, "Get out of my way."

Reece smirked as she moved closer, whispering to where she could only hear her, "You're going to apologize to Danielle, whether you like it or not. I'm giving you a week. If I find out you didn't utter a word, there will be hell to pay."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Sweetheart, I don't make threats." She said as she moved back with a smile before turning on her heels, "I make promises."

* * *

 _A month after Saint's departure._

Mercedes moved around the kitchen, closing the refrigerator door with her foot as she placed the juice on the counter, yelling out, "Breakfast's ready."

Danielle huffed out when her brush broke in her hair, sighing as she picked up her housecoat and threw it on, heading out her room. She was so happy to have the day off but it definitely wasn't starting off right.

"Good morning, Aunt Mercedes." Alex and Timothy said as they both came in, going over to give her a hug before taking a seat at the bar.

"Good morning you two." Mercedes smiled as she handed them their plates, "Ten minutes before the bus comes."

Sam fumbled with his tie as he walked into the kitchen, mumbling a good morning as he headed over to fix himself a cup of coffee.

"Morning." Danielle said in a huff as she came in, taking a seat between her cousins.

Mercedes chewed on the bacon as she took note of her husband and daughter's lack of enthusiasm this morning. Watching them both carefully, she rolled her eyes as she put her cup down and went over to Sam first. Pushing his hands out the way, she grabbed his tie and quickly fixed it for him. Walking around the island, she stood behind Dani and removed the broken brush carefully. Smoothing out her wild curly hair with her hands neatly and bringing it back into a ponytail.

Alex looked on and let out a chuckle, sipping his orange juice before speaking, "You two are completely helpless without Aunt Cedes."

Mercedes heard them mumbled a thank you, laughing at what Alex said. She shook her head and went back to her coffee, leaning against the counter. It's been a month since Alex and Timothy has been staying with them and honestly, it was nice to having them around. Saint checked on them daily and gave updates on how he was doing as well.

"Dani, can you pick them up after school. I don't get off until six and Sam's working late."

"Sure." Danielle said as she poured herself a glass of juice, raising a curious brow, "What are you up to, Dad?"

"I have a very exclusive interview to do today, that you all will see on Sunday because I'm not telling who it's with." Sam said when he saw their eyes light up with curiosity, chuckling as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Come on Uncle Sam.." Timothy said as he stick his fork into his eggs, placing some in his mouth, "We won't tell anyone."

"Nope, not telling." He laughed when they all groaned, picking up a piece of toast and biting into it just as the bus horn blew.

"She's early today." Danielle noted as she watched her cousins get up from the seats and grabbed their things.

"Don't forget your lunch." Mercedes said with a smile as she handed them both a bag, "Have great day at school."

"We will. It's our last week before we're officially out for summer. Bye Dani, bye Uncle Sam." Alex called out with his brother right on his heels.

"Bye everyone."

"See you later." Dani and Sam's voices ran together, hearing the front door open and close.

Mercedes felt her pager go off against her waist and she clicked it, "I have to go." She sat her cup down, pressing a kiss to the side of Dani's head before going over and kissing Sam, "I love you both and I'll see you tonight."

"Love you."

"Love you babe, drive safe."

"I will."

Dani grabbed her empty plate, picking up a spoon to place some grits on it, "Quick question Dad."

"Shoot." Sam said as he took her abandoned seat, grabbing a sausage link and biting into it.

Danielle chewed on her bottom lip before raising her eyes, "Those family therapy visit days that are required..do I have to go?"

Sam sighed as he leaned back in the chair and stared at her, "I can't make you go but I think it would do us some good."

The young woman nodded as she put her head down, "I-I...I know it's something I need to do but I don't think I can right now."

"And you don't have to, sweetheart. No one is pressuring you to go. You have plenty of time to think about it."

"Okay." She mumbled out as she placed a spoonful of grits in her mouth, "You're going to be late for work."

Sam looked at his watch and cursed underneath his breath. Traffic was truly something else in the morning. He stood up and went over to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead before heading for the door, "I'll see you later, have a good day, be careful and I love you."

"Love you too, Dad." She called out after him, chuckling as she finished fixing her food before going to couch. She was going to enjoy her day off from work and spend some much needed time catching up on her shows.

* * *

 _Two months after Saint's departure._

Mercedes slid down against the wall, placing her hand over her mouth as she tried to keep her sobs in. Today had truly taken a turn for the worse. Her heart was literally broken into a million pieces. She placed her head on her knees, her arms wrapping around her legs as she rocked herself slowly, tears rapidly flowing down her cheeks.

Santana sniffled as she leaned against the doorframe of the room, crossing her arms as she watched friend break down in the hallway. She couldn't believe this was happening. Hearing a voice, she turned around and saw that it was Mike.

"I just got the call." Mike said somberly as he stared at his best friend, trying his best not to cry as he watched on, "I can't believe this happened, I-I just can't."

"Yeah..me either." She whispered as she wiped her own tears, pushing off the door, she made her way over to her best friend, bending down, she bit down on her bottom lip when she heard the whimpers coming from her, "M-Mercedes, come here."

Mike went over and sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him. He heard her finally let out the loud cry that she had been holding in and he wrapped both his arms around her, "It's going to be okay."

Santana rubbed her arm, feeling her lips starting to tremble. She leaned forward and laid her head on Mercedes' back, her arms wrapping hers around her midsection. She needed comfort right now, they all did really but Mercedes was the one who truly needed it.

 _Don't cry for me,_

 _I'll be okay._

 _Heaven is my home now,_

 _And this is where I'll stay._

 _Don't cry for me,_

 _I'm where I belong._

 _I want you to be happy,_

 _And try to stay strong._

 _Don't cry for me,_

 _It was just my time._

 _But I will see you someday,_

 _On the other side._

Don't cry for me,

 _I am not alone._

 _The angles are with me,_

 _To welcome me home._

 _Don't cry for me,_

 _For I have no fear._

 _All my pain is gone,_

 _And Jesus took my tears._

 _Don't cry for me,_

 _This is not the end._

 _I'll be here waiting for you,_

 _When we meet again._

-Deborah Garcia Gaitan

* * *

 **A/N. The last part is heartbreaking you guys. It's leading into the next chapter & sadly, someone is no longer with us. But exactly who is it? You'll just have to wait and find out. The chapter is basically giving small flashbacks of what happened in the past year. They will continue next update and we will be back in the present as well. Have a great week, everyone!**


	34. A Year In Review Pt 2

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Funeral- Lukas Graham**

* * *

Mercedes pulled down the hat on her head before sticking her hands into her jacket. Smiling at some of the people that walked by, she let out a slow breath, turning around when she heard Sam's voice.

"You ready?" He asked, seeing her nod her head, he smiled as he grabbed her hand and led her out to their seats. Once they found them, he let her go first before following and taking a seat beside her.

"I wonder why the World Series started so late this year." Mercedes said as she placed her hands on her stomach, turning to look at her husband.

"We've been trying to find the answer." Sam replied as he looked at her, a playful frown taking over his lips, "Did you have to wear that hat?"

Mercedes giggled as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips, "Of course. I'm a Braves fan, duh. Just because you went and played for the Diamondbacks, don't mean I have to like them."

"Whatever." Sam mumbled, hearing her laugh, he rolled his eyes and placed his right hand on her stomach, "Don't worry baby girl, I won't let mommy force you to like this team."

"Oh my god." She threw her head back and snorted, "You're crazy."

"I know but you love me." He smirked as he leaned over and kissed her, her giggles turning into a moan before he pulled back, "I forgot, I can't kiss you like that. Your hormones are out of this world."

"So true." She whispered as she sent him a small smile, feeling little kicks against her hands, "You know, I was just thinking about what happened last summer. Thank you for letting me use Elise as her middle name."

Sam gave her a sad smile, "Baby, you don't have to thank me for that. It's a special name that means something to you..to both of you."

Mercedes nodded solemnly, feeling her eyes getting misty, she chuckled to herself as she smiled sadly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up or to start blubbering like a baby."

"Hey, it's okay." Sam said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closely, "I'm just happy that you're finally crying because I was starting to think that you were broken."

Mercedes stared at him for a moment before breaking out in fits of giggles, wiping her face, "Oh my god, Sam." She chuckled as she laid her head down on his shoulder. He always knew how to put a smile on her face and keep her happy, "I love you so much."

"I love you too, baby." He said with a smile as he kissed her forehead, leaning back, "Now, let's watch your team get whooped today."

Mercedes side eyed him before cuddling up into his side, "In your dreams, Evans."

* * *

 _Two months after Saint's departure_

Saint sat back in the chair, tapping his foot against the hardwood as he listened to the therapist talk. Hearing the last question, he knew things were about to take the wrong turn.

"Sam?" The woman said as she looked at the younger brother, waiting expectantly, "Do you think that's the only reason you're here right now is because Saint almost killed himself? Not because you actually cared but because you knew if he did die, you would only feel guilty."

"I care about my brother." Sam spoke honestly as he sat up in the chair, shrugging, "But I can say you have a point. If he would've died that night, I would've felt guilty."

"Do you hate him?"

"Forever will for what he did to my family."

"But why would you say that you forgive him if you still hate him?"

"You can forgive a person and still not like them for what they did, lady." Sam said as he sent her glare, "Look, Saint is my brother but I'm not going to sit around and pretend what he did still doesn't piss me off."

"So what you said and did at the hospital that night was all an act?" She asked, taking note of how angry he was getting, "Why are you really upset Sam?"

"I'm upset because my brother ruined my life." He said finally, no longer wanting to tip toe around the issue, "I'm upset because for twenty years, TWENTY, I didn't know about my daughter. Do you know how long that is? He said he did it for my own good but he had NO right. If you should be questioning anyone's love and hatred here it should be him. What kind of person would do that?"

"An arrogant, ignorant, jealous narcissist." Saint spoke lowly as he kept his head down, "I'm no longer going to make excuses for myself."

The therapist wrote down in her notepad before looking up at the two brothers, pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose, "Thank you for finally be honest with yourselves. Now, I'm going to be honest with both of you. As far as your relationship goes, it's really broken and it's definitely not something that can be fixed right away. Is that something you want? Do you want to rebuild a healthy relationship between the two of you?"

Sam breathed out lowly as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking out towards the window, "How are we going to rebuild something when it's so badly broken?"

"Are you willing to try?"

Saint looked over at Sam sadly, "I know I am. Not just with you, but with everyone."

Sam ran his hand through his hair before glancing out the window, "I am willing to try but I can't promise you anything."

"One step at a time." She said with a smile as she removed her glasses, looking at her watch, "I think it's time for the next person to come in."

* * *

 _A year ago. The day of the death._

Mercedes ran her free hand over forehead as she wrote down some notes in the chart, taking a deep breath. Today has not been a good day for her. Every since she came into work, it was an endless amount of emergencies. But the one that was hurting her the most was Tommy. Tommy had came in a week ago due to a high fever and upset stomach. Long story short, the reason he was feeling the way he was, was due to the fact that his cancer had came back. This time around, it was aggressive and she was doing everything she could to treat him but it was only getting worse. Ultimately, Tommy reminded her of what he told her the last time it came back. He didn't want to go through any more treatments. He was tired and his body was as well. He had spent all day with his family and friends, which was definitely an emotional roller coaster. She jumped slightly when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder, turning around, she saw that it was his parents.

"He wants to speak with you." Tommy's mother said as she took the tissues and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Mercedes nodded as she squeezed her shoulder, taking a deep breath as she walked to the room. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she pushed the door open, moving in slowly. She placed her hands in her coat pocket as she walked over to the bed, taking a seat on the stool. She tried to keep her tears from falling when he turn to look at her, giving a very weak smile.

"I remember when I was in here the first time nine years ago. I was hooked up to all these machines, much like I am now, and you came in." Tommy stated weakly as he closed his eyes, "You read the whole Dr. Seuss book collection and I was wondering exactly why was this lady reading me a book that's for kids." He chuckled lightly, causing her to smile, "After each book, I began to realize why. Each one gave life lessons."

"I do things without reasons." She said quietly, staring at him when he opened his eyes.

"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive, who is you-er than you!" He smiled faintly as he looked at her, "That is my favorite quote."

Mercedes lifted her hand and reach over to grip his, "Tommy."

"I'm tired, Dr. Jones. I'm so tired." He admitted as he breathed slowly, clearing his throat the best he could, "I told you if I ever get to this point again, I'm not going to put up a fight and this time, I really don't have to because the medicine isn't working."

"Tommy, I'm working on finding you something else." She said as the tears finally trickled down her face when he shook his head no.

Tommy turned to her once more, opening his eyes, he mustered up the strength to give her hand a squeeze, "I'm forever grateful for you. Because of you, I got a second chance at living. Thank you Dr. Jones, thank you for your love, your care, your support and your determination. You are an amazing doctor and definitely an amazing friend." He smiled as he closed his eyes once more, "I know for sure you going to have an amazing life."

Mercedes sniffled as she wiped her eyes, "You're a remarkable young man, Tommy. I'm so, so proud of everything that you gave a-accomplished.." She drifted off as her words got caught up in her throat. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"No need to say anymore, I know how you feel." He spoke quietly before opening up his eyes again, "Promise me something." He watched as she nodded before he spoke again, "Check in on my parents please. Make sure that they don't go blaming themselves for this."

"Of course."

"I will get to see Elise again." He smiled sadly as he remembered the little girl who died a couple of years ago from cancer. The three of them had bonded when she first came to the hospital and they were both devastated when she passed.

Mercedes let out a shallow breath as she stood up, she bent down and hugged him, "Thank you for teaching me everything you did, Tommy. I love you kid."

"I love you too, Dr. Jones."

Mercedes didn't want to let go and she didn't for a good five minutes. She was absolutely heartbroken that she couldn't change his mind. It was his right though. She let go and pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead before standing back, seeing him go off to sleep, "See you later, Tommy." She whispered as she gave him one final look before walking out the room. She ran into his parents, who look like they were on the verge of breaking down, and hugged both of them. They have been on this long road for nine years together and it was sadly about to end. She let them go so they could go back in spend their time with their son. Sadly their time only lasted for four more hours. Tommy passed away in his sleep that night surrounded by his family. Mercedes couldn't even muster up the courage to go back in when she heard his mother's loud sobs break out. She was trying her best to be strong but eventually, she broke down as well.

* * *

 _Five days after Tommy's death._

Sam opened the back door up for his daughter, giving her a small smile when she thanked him before moving forward to do the same for his wife. It's been a hard week in their household. With Tommy's death, he felt the impact of it immediately. From the stories that Mercedes told, he was such a positive light and good person to be around. To Sam, Tommy seemed like a second child to Mercedes and it broke his heart to see how she was taking this. His only regret was not getting to meet this remarkable young man, who obviously was a big part of his wife's life.

Danielle turned around and looked at her mother, smiling a bit as she went over and looped her arm with hers as soon as she got out the car. She was so proud of her for giving the most heartfelt, honest speech at the funeral. When she found out about Tommy a few days ago, she was so sad and couldn't believe he was really gone.

Mercedes sighed to herself as she followed behind Sam, pushing the sunglasses further up on her face. She had thankfully gotten through the funeral. It was hard but the thing was, it wasn't sad at all. The preacher did an amazing job with making it more of a celebration with uplifting messages, songs, and prayers.

Sam opened the door for his girls and waited for them to go in before following behind. When they got in, he wasn't surprised to see all the people in there because it was insanely packed at the church. He was a bit confused at first when they ask for everyone to come to a certain bar.

"Hey, we got some seats over here." Mike said as he came up the family, gesturing to the booth where he and Santana where sitting.

Danielle looked around and saw that the waitresses where bringing out wings, beer, and shot glasses. She was definitely confused to what was going on when she saw the man inserting a disc into the player.

Mercedes slid into the booth, taking off her sunglasses. She tucked her hair behind her ears as she leaned back, pausing when she heard that familiar voice on the TV.

"Hello everyone." He smiled as he looked at the camera, "I bet you're all trying to figure out what you're doing at a bar so let me tell you. If you're seeing this, then sadly, I'm no longer here but it's okay because I'm not in pain anymore." He said honestly as he placed his hand over his heart, "I truly want to thank everyone that is there tonight. Each of you have impacted my life in some way and I'm forever grateful." He clasped his hands together as a smile stayed on his face, "The reason there are wings, beers and shot glasses in front of you right now is because I want you to think of this as a big party and not a sad occasion. I've lived my life and I want everyone to celebrate that. These are three of my favorites items that I get when I come to this bar. Thanks to my wonderful church members, they are going to back me up with a song. And please bare with my bad vocals."

Everyone watched the screen as the choir came behind him and the band began to play.

 _When it's my time, I know you'll tailor a new suit for me_

 _And buy a new tie, so I'll look this good_

 _Boy, you were right_

 _You said only them good ones die young_

 _Never in my life did I look this good_

 _Everyone welcome to my funeral_

 _Everyone I know better be wasted_

 _You know I would pour one up_

 _Cause the way I lived, it was amazing_

 _Uh-uh-uh_

 _All of my friends are in the room_

 _Uh-uh-uh_

 _Party for me - I'd party too_

"Amazing." Sam breathed out as he felt the atmosphere change into a lighter one, his eyes wondered over to his parents, who had smiles on their faces.

 _You're all on my tab_

 _Bartenders pour out the whiskeys on me_

 _And don't be so sad_

 _Cause I lived this good_

 _We were closer_

 _Now it's over_

 _Oh it doesn't mean it's closure_

 _I see you and I love you_

 _I'll be watching out above you_

"This is for you, Tommy." Danielle mumbled as she picked up the shot glass, moving along to the beat before tossing the brown liquid back. Face twitching at how strong it was, earning a laugh from Santana, who was sitting next to her.

 _Everyone welcome to my funeral_

 _Everyone I know better be wasted_

 _You know I would pour one up_

 _Cause the way I lived, it was amazing_

 _Uh-uh-uh_

 _All of my friends are in the room_

 _Uh-uh-uh_

 _Party for me - I'd party too_

 _Uh-uh-uh_

 _All of my friends are in the room_

 _Uh-uh-uh_

 _Party for me - I'd party too_

Sam wrapped his arm around Mercedes, kissing her forehead as he sung along with everyone in the bar.

Mercedes wiped the tears from her eyes as she smiled, leaning against Sam as her eyes watched the video that was still playing.

 _Everyone welcome to my funeral_

 _Everyone I know better be wasted_

 _You know I would pour one up_

 _Cause the way I lived, it was amazing_

 _Welcome to my funeral_

 _Everyone I know better be wasted_

 _You know I would pour one up_

 _Cause the way I lived, it was amazing_

 _Welcome to my funeral_

 _Everyone I know better be wasted_

 _You know I would pour one up_

 _Cause the way I lived, it was amazing_

 _So welcome to my funeral_

 _Welcome to my funeral_

"I love you all and thanks for being a big part of my life. I'll miss you but just know, I'm in a much better place." He said finally with a big smile, waving at the camera before everything went black.

Mike raised his beer bottle up, standing up so that everyone could hear him, "To Tommy."

"To Tommy." Everyone shouted with smiles on their faces, clinking bottles and glasses. He got just what he wanted. Because after that video, it was indeed a big party that was celebrating his life.

* * *

 **A/N. SOBBING SO HARD RIGHT NOW. Y'all don't know how hard it was for me to make this decision & to write it. So emotional you guys!**


	35. Candid Moments

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH NCAA.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

"I don't even know how I let you convince me into coming on to this show." Mercedes said as she watched the woman place the cup of tea in front of her before her eyes drifted over to Gigi, who had a mile long grin on her face.

"It's going to be fun, trust me. It also helps that you know a few things about sports." Gigi said as she leaned over and rubbed her belly, feeling a kick against her hand instantly, "Even the baby is excited."

Mercedes chuckled as she turned her head when she heard someone coming, seeing that it was Sam with a pillow in his hand, she frowned, "Baby."

"I don't want to hear it, lean up." Sam smiled when he heard her groan and do what he said. He placed the pillow behind her back, dropping a kiss to her lips before sitting down in the sear beside her, "You always look amazing, but you look extra-extra-extra beautiful today."

All Mercedes could do was smile. Sam has been so wonderful and cautious during this whole pregnancy. But since it was getting closer for their baby girl to arrive, he has been extra attentive. As for him telling her she looked beautiful, she had to toot her own horn and agree. Lately, her daily attire consists of just Sam's big t-shirts and sweats, a makeup free face and ponytails. Today, Dani styled her and did her makeup. She had on a long sleeved burgundy ribbed midi dress paired with some black pointed toe ankle strap suede flats. Danielle had slicked her hair back into a low bun, gave her the usual natural makeup with a wine-stained colored lip and a blinding highlight.

"Alright Dr. Jones." One of the producers said as he came up and gave the woman a smile, "The generic parts are marked in green on the teleprompter that you need to say. Other than that, the rest is off script and your own words."

Mercedes nodded understandably as she listened to him, turning her head when she saw Sam eyeing her, "What?"

"Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Yes, I'm fine baby." Mercedes said as she reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze, "I'm not due for three more weeks."

"That don't mean anything." Sam stated worriedly, hearing the people in the studio start to count down, "Even you said the sometimes babies can come early."

"I'm fine." Mercedes mouthed as she let go of his hand, giving him a smile before she turned back and faced the camera.

"Good morning Atlanta. It's continuation of bowl season for college football and I'm pretty pumped. Welcome to Sports Deck, I'm Gigi Wester, along side with my co-host Sam Evans, and we have a very special guest with us today. Filling in for Nate, we have the beautiful and intelligent, Dr. Mercedes Jones-Evans." Gigi smiled as she turned in her seat to look at the woman, "Mercedes, welcome and thank you so much for being here this morning."

"Thank you for having me. I got to say, it's not bad getting to come with your husband to work." Mercedes chuckled, causing everyone to the same.

"Not bad at all. Let me be truthful as always, it's great getting to have another female on the show. I swear, the testosterone be high up in here." Gigi laughed when Sam rolled his eyes at her, looking back at the camera, "Lets dive right into it the hot topic of the day."

Sam nodded as he turned to the camera, "Wisconsin and Wake Forest are meeting for the first ever time in the fiesta bowl. Two great teams with outstanding seasons. Live in Glendale, Arizona, here's Lane Garrett with the latest."

Mercedes watched as the light went yellow, indicating that they were still live but there mics were off and the TV was only showing Lane. She leaned forward and picked up her cup of tea, taking a sip as she placed her free hand on her stomach.

"Sixty second commercial, and we are moving to the big screen."

"Damn, already?" Gigi asked as she stood up from her chair, straightening out her dress, "Why so fast today?"

"Network is cutting in after twenty minutes for live coverage of the pre-game conference. We were just informed, so today's a short work day for you all."

Sam laughed when she mumbled underneath her breath, standing up and holding out his hands to help his wife up.

Mercedes sighed as she grabbed his hands, standing up with a slight grunt. Puffing out her cheeks as she held onto his hand as he guided her carefully down until they made it over to the other side.

Sam glanced over to Mercedes to make sure she was alright, smiling to himself when she rolled her eyes. He knew he was getting on her nerves but he just wanted to make sure she was okay.

"Bring us in doc..in three, two, one.."

"As we mentioned earlier, it's bowl season. So many great teams earned them a spot and I'm for one am very excited to watched them all." Mercedes added the last part before she smiled, "But the two teams that we are focused on this segment is Wisconsin and Wake Forest, who by the way, have a lot of to say about one another."

"And a lot they did." Sam commented as he turned and tapped the screen, spreading his fingers across to enlarged the tweets, "They have been going at it on social media. I don't know about y'all, but I'm all about action. Actions speaks louder than words. Nothing is going to get done behind a keyboard, nothing. You prove yourself on the field and leave it at that."

"I agree wholeheartedly." Gigi said as Mercedes nodded in agreement as well, "There's no denying that they're both talented, but it's all about who comes out on the field hungry for it more."

Sam nodded as he turned back to Gigi, "Speaking of this whole social media concept, it's also something else people are up in uproar about."

"Yes, Coach Mackey of WF said that he will not be playing standout freshman quarterback, Bryson Gibson. Instead, he will be putting the junior, Tate Smith, who missed a few games early on in the season due to an injury. He also commented that he didn't want to take a chance with Bryson in a big game and atmosphere like this. It left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouth. What are y'all thoughts on this?"

"Well, I completely agree with the people who are upset." Mercedes chimed in as she turned and gestured to the producers, "This is my honest opinion and for the viewers watching, I am not reading the teleprompter for this. I totally disagree with Coach Mackey decision to sit Mr. Gibson out. It's completely selfish for one. I watch a lot of college football, and Bryson is definitely the best freshman quarterback I have seen in years. You're talking about not playing a kid who rushed for two hundred yards in two quarters. That's absolutely insane."

"Yeah, I agree but coach does have a point. I just don't see him as ready yet." Sam was not surprised at all that Mercedes knew what she was talking about. And when he saw that all too familiar look on her face, he just knew she was bout to read him good.

"Alright Sam, let me break it down for you and the rest of the people who think this young man is not ready." Mercedes sassed as she turned fully to face her husband before she touched the screen and pulled up the stats, "When is one ready enough? Stats don't lie. The kid is killing it and I think that comment of him not being able play in a quote and quote big game or atmosphere, that's complete BS. This is a game that's going to prepare him for the rest of his college years. No disrespect to Smith, but I believe Bryson should be playing. End of discussion."

Gigi smirked at Sam and the turned to look at the producers, who were dumbfounded and shocked, "Well then, I think our doctor here have made some valid points. Put Bryson in coach. We're going to take a quick break, and when we come back, you the viewers we get to vote on whether or not you think Bryson should play and who will win the game."

Mercedes smiled before she turned and raised her brows at her husband as she rubbed her hands against her stomach, "How did I do?"

"You told my ass for one, but other than that, amazing." Sam chuckled when he saw the bright smile spread across her lips.

"You know I have to keep you in line. Plus, I honestly believe he should be playing."

"And I think you have made some noise of that." One of the producers said as she came over to where they were standing, handing over the iPad, "Look at what's trending at one and two."

Gigi peeked over Mercedes' shoulder and read, "#LetBrysonPlay and #GiveMercedesAJobAtSD."

Mercedes snorted at the last one as she placed her hands on her lower back, letting out a slow breath.

"And our viewership just went up another ten percent. They love you, babe." Sam noted as he scrolled through some of the tweets before raising his eyes to look at his wife, "You want a job here?"

"Seriously, you can work weekends." The producer said with a smile on her face, "We can make it happen."

"Um, no thank you. My job has me pretty booked as is." Mercedes laughed at the pouty looks she was getting, shaking her head as she turned around, "Y'all are going to have to finish without me, our kid is sitting on my bladder."

Sam smiled as he watched her waddled off before he turned back to them, "I think I can convince her to at least come back once a month."

"Yes, please. She's fresh, honest, straight up and clearly the viewers are in love with her." Gigi said with a chuckled as she looked at the tweet, gasping when she saw who it was from, "Looks like she got Bryson's attention too."

 _Thank you to the insanely pretty and sweet doctor on Sports Deck Atlanta, who had nothing but kind words to say about me. She is amazing and has definitely made my day a lot better!_

"An impact she is. You got you a keeper, Evans."

Sam watched as one of his bosses walked away with a big smile on his face, "Don't I know it. I'm blessed."

* * *

Danielle smiled as she looked through the candid shots she took of her mother earlier on her camera. She had to pat herself on the back for being the makeup artist and stylist for this spur of the moment appearance.

Mercedes huffed out loudly as she sat back on the couch with a big bag of Doritos in her hands. She was so happy to be home and out of those clothes and makeup. Don't get her wrong, she looked beautiful but at this point in her pregnancy, she wanted nothing more than to just be in her sweats, t-shirts, and a makeup free face.

Danielle looked up from her camera just in time to see her mom opening up the container of cheese and dipping her chip into it, "Mom, Dad literally just called and said he's a few minutes away with the food."

"I can't be waiting on him, Dani. Me and your sister are hungry." She said as she took another Dorito and ran it through cheese, closing her eyes when the delicious combination hit her tongue.

Danielle chuckled as she turned to her a little bit on the couch, "How are you feeling?"

"Like an oversized ballon that's about to pop any minute now." Mercedes said as she picked up another chip and tossed in her mouth just as the front door opened, "I swear, I was never this big when I was pregnant with you."

Danielle smiled as she watched as her sister's foot outline through her mom's shirt, "I think she's ready to come out, but is too stubborn to do so."

"You know who she gets that from." Sam and Mercedes voices ran out at the same time when he entered the room. They both side eyed one another, earning a giggle from Danielle.

"No, she definitely takes after you, they both do. End of the discussion." Mercedes said as she glared at her husband, sticking her hand back into her chip bag.

Sam rolled his eyes as he grabbed the bag from her and the can, ignoring her whining, "You need to eat real food." He sat the items down before pulling her container of cheesy beef enchiladas and Spanish rice she has been craving.

"Thank you baby." Mercedes said sweetly as she took the fork from him and popped the top, digging in almost immediately.

"Thanks Dad." Danielle said as she picked up one of the quesadillas in her mouth, stretching her legs out on the couch, "Are we watching football games all tonight?"

"You don't have too, but I do." Sam stated as headed out the room and went to the kitchen.

"Yeah, baby. Don't you want to go hang out with your friends?"

"Nah, I kinda want to stay close, you know?" Danielle said as she gestured to her stomach before sending her a small smile.

Mercedes smiled at her as she put her fork down, "I'm okay. I'm not alone, dad's with me. Seriously, the man won't leave my side."

"I know..I just.." Danielle sighed as she rubbed her arm, "You know how I am mom, and I know I don't need to worry about it anymore, but it's something I can't change."

Mercedes nodded understandably as she sat her plate down on her lap. Growing up, Danielle was always attached to her. As a little girl, she told her all the time that she never wanted to leave her alone and it didn't change when she became a teenager. Don't get her wrong, she did go out with her friends while in high school, but she set her own curfew up to get home and it was hours before the one Mercedes had set for her.

"Hey Dani." Sam called out as he walked back in the room with a cup of ice water in his hand, taking a seat beside her, "You know you don't have to worry about mom being alone. I'm here, and I'm always going to be."

Danielle nodded as she let out a sigh, tucking her hair behind her ear, "I know, and I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, you have a right to feel how you do." Sam said as he leaned over and hugged her tightly before pulling back, "Maybe you, Lo, Shay, and Bri can go to one of those silent dance parties. You know where you wear the headphones and the music plays through them." Sam watched as both of the women in his life gave him an astounding look, "What? I maybe old, but I ain't that damn old to not know what kids do these days."

Danielle looked at her mom then bursted out in laughter, shaking her head as she stood up from the couch. Feeling her phone buzz in her hand, she looked down and saw that it was a text from her best friend, "Speaking of Lo, she just ask if I wanted to go to the mall."

"Go."

Danielle smiled as she leaned down and hugged her mom, kissing her cheek before pulling back up, "Text me if you need anything."

Sam watched as Mercedes nodded before Dani grabbed her purse and keys, "Be safe."

"I will."

Mercedes waited until she was out the door and she heard her car start up before she turned to Sam, "I'm glad you got her to get out." She watched as Sam raised his brow as he turned to his wife, moving closer to her, "She's a worry bug, and she worries about me so much. I want her to enjoy her life." Mercedes breathed out, watching as the man leaned down and pressed a kiss on her lips, "Also, I needed her out because my water just broke five minutes ago."

Sam eyes went wide as he pulled back and jumped off the couch, "WHAT?! Why didn't you say anything?"

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Mercedes rolled her eyes at her husband, rubbing soothing circles around her stomach.

"Shit, we need to get you to the hospital. Shit, hold on..I have to go get your bag."

Mercedes watched as the man ran out the room and up the stairs. She chuckled a bit as she lifted her off the couch, taking a deep breath as she placed her hands on her lower back.

Sam came back down the stairs quickly when he got the bag, placing it on his shoulder while mumbling to himself as went around searching for his keys.

Mercedes wobbled over to the front door, grabbing her long sweater and sliding it on. She watched as Sam ran around the house with a chicken with his head cut off and she couldn't help but laugh, "Baby, slow down. I'm fine. She is not coming right at this moment." Her words fell death on Sam's ears as she watched him put his coat on and opened the door, closing it behind him as he went to the truck. Mercedes crossed her arms as she tapped her foot against the hardwood, waiting for him to realize that he forgot her. Seeing him come back with a red face, she tried her best to hold back her laughter because she knew he was nervous but she couldn't help it.

"I'm so sorry." Sam apologized as he went and wrapped his arm around hers, guiding her out of the house, turning around quickly to lock the door before they slowly went down the steps and to his truck. Opening the door for her, he help her in before shutting to door and running over to the driver's side.

* * *

 _Mike paced the room as he looked over at his best friend worried, seeing the tears spilling from her eyes was literally breaking his heart._

 _Santana held Mercedes held as she tried to wipe some of the tears away but it was no use, "It's going to be okay."_

 _Mercedes sniffled as she closed her eyes, wincing in pain as she laid her head back on the pillow, "It hurts so bad."_

 _Santana stared at her sadly just a knock came from the door, following by it opening and showcasing the bubbly nurse._

 _"How are we doing, sweetie?" She asked as she came over to the young girl, seeing her shaking her head. She gave her a sad smile as she looked at the monitor and nodded her head, "It's almost over with. You're ten centimeters dilated, I just notified your doctor."_

 _"Where is she?" Mercedes heard her aunt Katherine outside the door, seeing the open, she felt a little relief when the woman came to her side._

 _"Baby girl." Katherine said as she rubbed her hands down her face, giving her a smile, "You're going to be just fine."_

 _Mercedes shook her head, continuing to cry when she saw her doctor and some more nurses come in, "I can't do this."_

 _"Yes you can dear. Just breathe." Her aunt said in a soothing voice as she held her hand._

 _Mercedes did what she said and took some deep breaths, turning her head to the side when she heard one of the nurses ask Santana and Mike to leave, "No, they're staying. I want them both in here."_

 _Mike went over and stood beside Santana, putting his hand on top of theirs, "We're in this together."_

 _"Forever." Santana added as she looked at her best friends, smiling._

 _"And ever." Mercedes concluded with a smile as she looked at them, just as her doctor began speaking._

 _"Alright Ms. Jones.." The woman looked up and smiled at her, "Its time to meet your daughter."_

Mercedes came out of her thoughts when the nurse finished hooking her up to the monitor. After Sam broke so many driving laws, they had been at the hospital for a little over a hour now. They were immediately taken to a private room, where Mercedes changed out of her clothes and into a hospital gown.

"You are three centimeters dilated. We have a long night and possible morning ahead of us." Dr. Fisher smiled at the couple as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"Are you positive she's okay, doc? She is a whole three weeks early." Sam asked worriedly as stood next to bed, trying his best to calm his nerves.

"Rest assured, she's fine Sam. She's healthy, and heartbeat is really good. I think she's just ready to come meet her lovely parents and sister, that's all." Dr. Fisher told him, watching as the man let out a sigh of relief, "Are you doing natural birth or an epidural?"

"Definitely an epidural. My first pregnancy I did it naturally and that was a mistake. I was young and so iffy on the drugs, but I need the drugs this time to get through this." Mercedes spoke honestly, earning a laugh from both the nurse and her doctor.

"Yes ma'am. If y'all need anything else, just let me or Hazel know."

"And I'll be coming in and out to check your progress."

Sam nodded as he watched both of them exit out the room. He pulled the chair up to the bed and sat down, grabbing ahold of Mercedes' hand, "How are you feeling?"

"I should be asking you that, Dad." Mercedes said with a smile as she squeezed his hand before rubbing her thumb against it.

"I'm going to be honest with you, besides nervous, I'm scared." He said as he gave her a sad smile before his eyes drifted down to her stomach, "This is going to be my first time being around a baby. I don't know what to do, I'm scared that she may not like me, and I'm scared that I may royally screw up. I'm clueless and have no experience in raising a kid. It's different with Dani because she is older, but I'm scared to be a Dad to our little girl."

"Oh baby." Mercedes whispered sadly as she leaned over and wiped the tears that slid from his eyes. For the past eight months, Sam has been nothing but excited about the arrival of their baby. He has been doing everything that a new Dad would be doing, from fixing up the nursery, buying everything the baby needed, and he even read first time parent books. She had no idea that he really felt like this deep down, "Sam, you have nothing to worry about, love. You're going to be amazing just like you are now with Danielle. I'm going to be with you every step of the way. All of this is going to come natural, you know why? Because you already have natural father instincts inside of you. She's going to love you, because she's going to grow up with the most awesome, caring loving, smart, and definitely protective father ever."

Sam sniffled as he listened to Mercedes talk, nodding his head as he raised eyes back to look at her, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now get up here, and cuddle with me." She smiled as she watched him take off his shoes before standing up and sliding next to her in the bed.

Sam pressed a kiss to the side of head as she laid her head down on his chest, causing him to wrap his arm around her. All of this was becoming so real, and it was an emotional roller coaster for many of reasons.

* * *

 **A/N. Ah, I'm back to updating! Hope you guys had an amazing holiday break and a wonderful start to the next year. When break is over, new semester of school begins. So, you guys know the drill. I'm still here, but updates will be slow. Anyways, how did you like this chapter? Let me know you thoughts, and if you haven't already, check out my holiday fic, Delayed, which is coming to an end soon. :)**


	36. Welcome To The World, Baby Evans

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

"She's stubborn as hell." Mercedes let out a frustrated grunt, holding onto Sam's hand as they walked down the hallway, "It's been twelve hours and I'm just now hitting nine centimeters."

Sam smiled down at his wife as he held her close. They had been in the hospital for majority of the night and early morning, and their baby was not ready to make her appearance yet. Sam had called their families and Danielle to let them know what was going on, and they all agreed that they would be there in the morning, "Baby, you're almost there."

Mercedes frown turned into a pout as she lifted the cup in her other hand, placing a few ice cubes in her mouth. Looking down at her stomach as she rubbed it, feeling tears start to form in her eyes, "Just come out little girl. You're acting like your daddy for real now."

Sam rubbed her back as he stared at her worriedly when she began to cry, choosing to ignore her dig, "Alright, let get you back to your room." He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her back to the room. Once they got back, he helped her into the bed, "What do you need me to do?"

Mercedes sniffled as she turned to look at him, "Just don't leave me."

"Never." He picked up her hand and placed a kiss on it before leaning forward and moving some of the loose hair from her bun out of her face, "Want me to sing? You know I can't carry a tune, but I'll sing if that's what you want."

Mercedes chuckled through her tears, shaking her head, "Please don't."

Sam snorted as he kissed her lips gently before pulling back, turning to look over his shoulder when he heard the door opening, showcasing their nurse.

"Alright, Mrs. Evans. Let's have a look." Hazel smiled as she walked over to the front of the bed, lifting up her hospital gown, scanning before her eyes went to the couple, "We're ready. Let me call Dr. Fisher in."

 _"We're almost there, Mercedes. I just need you two give me two more big pushes, okay?" The doctor said as she watched the young girl nod, "Alright, let's do this."_

 _Mercedes face scrunched up deeply as she pushed, squeezing Mike's hand tightly. He had switched spots with Santana because he didn't want his best friend to break their best friend's dainty hand. Mercedes laid her head back as she breathed out harshly, sweat and tears taking over face, "I can't do this anymore, I just can't."_

 _Aunt Katherine took the cold towel and wiped her face, "I know you're tired, I know you're hurting. All you need is one more push and this is all over, baby girl. You can do it."_

 _Mercedes cried as she nodded her head, taking a deep breath as she heard her doctor began to count down. It was the last push and she pushed with all of her might as a loud scream escaped her mouth._

 _"She's out."_

 _Aunt Katherine looked at the nurses confusedly as they cut the cord, immediately taking the baby out of Mercedes' view, "What's going on?"_

 _Mercedes immediately started to panic as she lifted her head up, her sobs beginning to come back in full force, "Why isn't she crying? Why isn't my baby crying?" She was so worried because they weren't saying anything but it completely went away when she heard the screams of her daughter._

 _"She didn't realize she was out yet." The doctor commented as she turned back to the new mom with a smile, "She's okay, Mercedes."_

 _Mercedes watched as the nurse brought the baby over, wrapped in a blanket as she placed her in her arms. A smile took over her lips as she looked down at the newborn, "You're so beautiful."_

Mercedes watched the nurse help Sam get suited up before her eyes drifted to the door when her doctor came in with his scrubs on and a smile on his face, while Hazel helped sit up.

"Looks like we are finally ready." Dr. Fisher said before the nurse placed the mask over his mouth, putting a pair of gloves on as he sat on the rolling stool, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not in pain, I just want her out." Mercedes said as she wiped her face with her hands, trying to take some deep breaths.

Sam thanked the nurse for her help before he walked back over to Mercedes' side, lacing his fingers with hers.

"Alright then, let's get this show on the road. We're going to ease into this Mercedes. Start small, end big. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Mercedes looked at Sam with a smile, giving his hand as gentle squeeze, "Ready?"

Sam nodded as he bent down and kissed her forehead, "Ready."

And start off small and end big they did. It only took five pushes before the room was filled with loud screams.

"Come cut the cord, dad." Dr. Fisher said as he looked up at Sam with a smile, while the nurse held out the scissors for him.

Sam let go of Mercedes' hand for the first time and went over beside the doctor and grabbed the scissors. He audibly let out a gasp once he saw his daughter. She was beautiful. He was so caught up in her that he forgot what he even came up for. Thankfully, he snapped out of it and cut he cord, moving back so the nurses could clean her off. He went back to Mercedes and smiled, bending down to kiss her lips softly and placing his forehead on hers, "You did it, baby."

Mercedes smiled as she closed her eyes for a moment, resting her hand on the side of Sam's neck, "We did it..we did it together."

The nurse swaddled the baby in the blanket before picking her back up, walking over to the parents, she smiled at their embrace, "I believe someone is waiting to see you."

Mercedes let go of Sam as she turned her head to the side, sitting up as the nurse carefully placed their baby in her arms. She smiled down at her as she was sucking her thumb with her eyes closed, "Dammit Sam, why do you mark these kids so good? She looks exactly like you already, baby. So beautiful."

Sam let out a watery chuckle at Mercedes' comment, smiling at their little girl as tears filled in his eyes, "She's perfect, absolutely perfect."

* * *

Danielle walked down the hallway of the hospital, reading the text on her phone for the room number. She had got a call last night from her dad, letting her know that her mom went into labor. Of course she wanted nothing more than to be by her side, but her dad had told her to just come in the morning and that's exactly what she did. Looking up, she saw him walking out the room, "Dad."

Sam closed the door quietly as he turned around, smiling when Danielle came up and hugged him, "Hey Dani."

"How is mom? How are you? How is the baby?" The questions flew from her mouth as she let him go, waiting patiently for some updates.

"Mom is fine. Everything went good, but she's asleep right now. I'm okay, and your sister is fine. Completely healthy, all ten fingers and toes, and has developed your momma's sassy attitude already."

Danielle laughed as she crossed her arms, "Can I see her, please?"

"Yeah, she's actually getting her checkup right now, so you can look through the glass. Come on." Sam wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked back down the hall and around the nurses station. He stopped once they got to the large see through windows, looking at all the babies.

Danielle scanned the area until her eyes stopped on a certain little girl in the back. She didn't even need to ask which one belong to them because she instantly knew, "She's so beautiful, dad." She leaned forward, smiling as she stared at her. She looked exactly like their dad. From her nose, to her lips, ears, and even her eye shape. From what she could tell from underneath her yellow hat, she had straight black hair and of course for now her skin was probably three tones darker than Sam's, "Just wow."

"My exact reaction when I saw her." Sam said with a smile plastered on his face as looked at Danielle, "Mom wanted you to enjoy your night, that's why I didn't call you until later."

"I figured." Danielle smiled as she took her eyes off her little sister, "How was it for you, honestly?"

"It was the best experience that has happened in my life. It was still hard because I thought about how I missed all of this when you were born, but in a way, it's a blessing. I get a second at being a dad." He didn't realize he had started crying until he watch her take her hands and wipe his tears away.

"Since we are being honest, I was jealous when I found out mom was pregnant. She's going to get to have you as she grows up, something I was snag of. I'm not trying to make this about me, dad..I swear, but I couldn't help but feel that way at the moment." Danielle admitted as she dropped her hands and looked back at her sister, "But as the months rolled by, and I saw the joy that this unborn life was bringing all of us, it made me realize that everything happens for a reason. I have you now, and for the rest of my life. That, I'm so thankful for. And the biggest thing is, I'm beyond happy and grateful that my little sister will never have to want for anything."

"You are the most amazing young woman I have ever met and I know for sure, you're going to be the best big sister ever, Dani." Sam said finally after he let what she said sink in his mind, seeing the smile on her face, he wrapped her into a big hug. He could kind of tell early on that she was stand offish. And the thing about it, it wasn't in a mean or rude way, it was just sadness. He pulled back and kissed her forehead, turning his head when he heard him name being called. Seeing that it was his sisters and Sander, "Hey y'all."

"Hey bro, congrats." Summer said as she came over and hugged him, going over to do the same to Danielle.

Shelby smiled as she gave him a side hug, balancing the balloons and flowers in her hand, "These are for Mercedes, the baby and I guess you too."

Sam rolled his eyes as he grabbed the items from her, "Thank you."

"Which one is she?" Sander asked as he went over and stood beside Danielle, staring at all the babies. A smile spread across his lips as he gestured for his sisters to come, "Never mind, I found her. She looks just like that goober over there."

Sam sent his brother a glare before he turned on his heels, "The room number is 5012 when you're done." He told them before heading back down the hall, getting to the door, he pushed it opened quietly, entering the large room. He walked over and placed the items on the counter before he headed over to check on Mercedes. Seeing that she was still asleep, he smiled as he brushed some of her hair out of her face.

Mercedes shifted a bit as she opened her sleepy eyes, staring into those green ones she adored so much, whispering, "Lay with me. I know you're tired."

"I'm fi.." He stopped when she glared at him, letting out a quiet chuckle as he slid out of his shoes and got into the bed next to her.

Mercedes moved closer to him and gave him some of her cover, laying her head down on his chest as she cuddled into his side, "How is she?"

"She is still in line waiting for a check up. Apparently a lot of babies were born last night." He said amusedly as he wrapped his arm around her, laying his head down on the top of her head, "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She mumbled out as she tighten her arms around him, falling back to sleep.

* * *

Sam murmured in his sleep as the voices began increasingly louder. Sighing, he popped one eye open and spotted that it was both of their families. Grunting lowly, he tried to close it back and pretend to be sleep but he was immediately caught by someone.

"Uncle Sammmy." The brown skinned girl squeaked out once she saw him close him eyes back, hopping from her cousin Danielle's lap and walking over to the man to tap his shoulder.

Sam turned his head to the side, opening both of his eyes, giving the girl a smile, "Hey Jazzy."

"Hey." She replied with her own smile before squeezing his nose and running back over to Danielle. It was something she has been doing since they've met and everyone was trying to figure out what it meant, but Sam told them that it was just the way the three old wanted to greet him.

Sam rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around the room, "Hey everybody."

"Hey Sam."

Sam turned his head and found Mercedes staring at him with a smile and he couldn't help but smile back. He was just about to speak again until a knock came at the door. He watched as two nurses came in, one with their baby in her arms and the other with some papers in her hands.

"Oh wow, we have the whole crew." Hazel noted as she walked over to Mercedes and Sam, smiling as she handed Mercedes the papers, "Mom, dad..we just need you fill out and sign the birth certificate."

The nurse walked over to the side Sam was on, smiling as she gently placed the baby in his arms.

"She's so pretty." Summer gushed as she looked at her niece, holding her hands over her heart.

Danielle looked up when she heard sniffling, seeing that it was Sander, she let a teary smile of her own take over her lips, "Uncle Sander, are you crying?"

"No." Sander lied as he wiped his tears away, rolling his eyes when everyone gave him a disbelieving, "Yes."

Sam stared down at his daughter and smiled as she yawned, opening up her eyes to look at him. He took his finger and ran it along her cheek, lifting his head when he heard Mercedes call for him.

"Here you go, babe." She held the paper and slid the pen in his free hand. She had so many emotions and memories running through her at this time as she watched Sam sign his name on the birth certificate. She instantly felt her tears starting up because the first time she went through this, her name was the only one on it.

Cassie saw how Mercedes was reacting and she knew she needed to step in. Pushing off the wall, she picked her purse off the counter and placed it on her shoulder, "Hey everybody, how about we go downstairs and get something to eat."

"That's a great idea." Dwight said as he grabbed his coat, "Come on y'all."

"Wait, can we at least know what her name is? You two still haven't told us." Charles asked as he picked up his daughter, listening as everyone agreed to what he was saying.

"Nova Elise Evans."

"Sam picked the first name." The Evans' family responded knowingly in unison, causing the man to blush deeply.

"Y'all know he has been in love with astronomy since he was a kid." Mercedes said with a smile as she turned to look at her husband, "And he has always wanted to use to name Nova if we ever had a daughter."

"It's a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl." Everyone agreed with Diane as they made their way out the door, leaving the family of four to themselves.

Danielle stood up and pulled the chair beside the bed, sitting back down as she crossed her legs and leaned over to see her sister. Seeing that she had her eyes trained her their dad, she smiled, "Well, she did take one thing from you mom, her brown eyes."

Mercedes giggled as she handed the nurse the papers, watching as she nodded and walked out the room before her eyes went to Danielle, "You were the same way. At least you began to look like me as you got older, but I don't think she's going to at all."

Sam laughed at his wife as he watched Nova move her mitten covered hands to her face. He glanced over at Dani, "You want to hold her?"

"Yes." Danielle watched her dad got up from the bed, laying Nova in her awaiting arms.

"I'm going to go take a shower."

"Then go downstairs and get you something to eat." Mercedes said as she raised her eyes, holding her hand up when he opened his mouth, "Nope, you haven't ate since yesterday evening. You need to eat something."

"I'm fine."

"What did I say?"

Danielle looked up between them and snorted, shaking her head as she looked down Nova. She was so precious, she couldn't take it.

"Fine." He mumbled as he grabbed his bag and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Mom?"

"Yes baby."

Danielle smiled as she looked at her, feeling a few tears roll down her cheeks, "I love you so much, never forget that."

"I couldn't if I tried, baby girl. I love you too." Mercedes said as she scooted over in the bed, leaning over and pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. She looked down when she heard quiet cooing coming from below, giggling when she found her daughter staring at them.

"Gotta admit, you and dad make some damn good looking kids." Danielle smirked, laughing when a tiny smile appeared on Nova's face.

"We do don't we?" Mercedes laughed at her as she watched the two closely. She was so content with her life right now. She had an amazing husband, and two beautiful daughters. She was so blessed and thankful for her family.

* * *

 **A/N. Yo, did you cry? Because I cried. I felt like I was writing the last chapter to this story, but I wasn't lol. I still have a lot planned for ASC! Anyways, let me know your thoughts on everything including the flashbacks, Samcedes and Dani's feelings. Oh, and FYI, Saint and his kids are not at the hospital. Do you think they will come? Do you think Saint should even be there? (I already know y'all answer to that, lol)**


	37. Christmas Eve Spectacular

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes placed her coat on as she watched her husband with a smile. They had been in the hospital for two days and it was finally time for them to leave. She was pretty relive and excited to be getting back home.

"You have to put these on your feet, so you won't get cold." Sam spoke as he looked down at Nova, smiling as she moved her legs around, making it harder for him to get her socks on.

Mercedes chuckled as she looked on at the two, watching as their baby girl slowed down the movement of her legs long enough for her daddy to put on her socks, "She's baiting you already."

Sam snorted as he nodded his head, swaddling her up in the blanket and picking her up carefully, "I have a feeling it's only going to get worse as she gets older."

Mercedes silently agreed when she heard her phone ding. Picking it up, she saw that it was a text from Gigi, "Babe, Gigi wants us to watch her in a few."

Sam turned his nose up, going over to sit beside her on the bed, "I'm not talking to Gigi at this present moment. She's trying to replace me with you at work."

Mercedes giggled as she hit his shoulder, picking up the remote and turning the channel, "I love the relationship between you two so much. She just like an annoying big sister."

"Tell me about it." He mumbled as glanced Nova, who was fast asleep in his arms, sucking on her pacifier. He looked up at the TV when he heard the familiar intro.

"Good morning Atlanta. It's Monday and we have a lot of updates coming your way, but first, as you can see, I'm by my lonesome today. Nathan is still out sick, and Sam, well.." Gigi smiled into the camera, "A HUGE congratulations goes out to our lovely anchor and his family on their beautiful bundle of joy. Your Sports Deck family loves you all so much, and we can't wait to see the new addition."

"Awe, that was so sweet." Mercedes smiled as she turned to her husband.

"It was. They are honestly the best people to work with. My second family, no matter how annoying their asses are." He whispered the last part, lifting Nova up and pressing a kiss to her forehead before he turned and carefully laid her in the car seat. He got up from the bed and stood in front of his wife, bending down to place a kiss to her lips, "I love you."

"I love you too." She said with a smile, leaning back to pat his cheeks, "Time to shave."

Sam snorted as he kissed her again, raising up just as the door opened, revealing his sister and Danielle.

"Did you guys announce to the world that Nova was here? All of social media is in scrambles right now because of it."

"No, we didn't. Gigi just did with a congratulatory announcement on air." Mercedes answered Summer as she stood up, blowing out a breath as she put her hands on her back.

"Do you need me to tell the nurse to get a wheelchair?"

"Already did." Danielle responded to her dad as she made her way over to them, eyes bright as she stared at her little sister, "Can I carry her out?"

"Of course." Sam slid into his jacket, placing his hat on his head. He lifted his phone that was in his hand, reading the text from one of his bodyguards.

Danielle fixed the mittens on her the baby's hands just as the nurse came in with a chair for Mercedes. She moved the blanket up a bit before completely pulling the hood of the car seat down before picking it up off the bed.

Mercedes watched as Sam checked the room over once more to make sure they weren't leaving anything as she sat down in the chair. They had got the flowers, gifts, and baskets out yesterday and was checking to make sure that nothing was missed.

"Wait." Summer said as she saw the nurse starting to push Mercedes out, coming in front of her, she grabbed the beanie and put it on top of her head, "It's freezing outside."

Mercedes smiled up at her, placing her hands underneath the blanket, "Thank you, sis."

"No problem." Summer smiled as she walked out the door to lead the way.

Mercedes waved at some of the nurses who have helped them the last few days. She had to admit that her stay here at the women's hospital wasn't bad at all. Even so that Sam had did something really special. To show his gratitude to the staff for them being so helpful and respectful of their privacy, he gifted the maternity ward a hefty donation. Sam wasn't the type of person that flashed his money around and that's not what he was doing when he did this. He was just so thankful and grateful to have wonderful nurses and a doctor who only wanted the best interest for his wife and daughter.

* * *

It's been two weeks since they've had been home from the hospital and it's been different but in a good way. Mercedes was extremely proud of how Sam was doing. Even though he was super nervous when Nova first came home, she was so happy to see how that nervousness instantly melted away. He was such an amazing father and an even better husband. He knew how tired Mercedes was during the day, so for the past couple of nights, he has been taking the graveyard shift when little Nova cried, just so her mommy could get some rest.

Mercedes hummed lowly as she leaned against the counter, looking down at Nova with a smile as she suck in her bottle. It was Christmas Eve and Mercedes had got up earlier to start prepping for dinner. Hearing footsteps, raised her eyes and smiled when she saw it was Danielle, "Morning."

"Good morning." Danielle rubbed the last of the sleep from her eyes as she walked over to her mom, picking the baby out of her arms, she placed a kiss to her forehead before heading to the living room.

Mercedes chuckled quietly at the girl as she walked over to the refrigerator. Danielle had a habit of doing that every since Nova been born. When she knows her parents need to do something or even if she just wants spend time with her.

Sam straighten out his tie as he made his way towards the kitchen. He has spent the past two weeks at home with his girls and sadly, his father maternity leave was up. He was hoping he could just go back after Christmas, but his boss had wanted him to come in from Christmas Eve because it was super important. He stopped when he got to the kitchen, watching his wife move around with a smile. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the threshold and just stared at her.

Mercedes opened up the container of yogurt and dipped the spoon in it, placing the utensil in her mouth as she turned around, spotting her husband, "Hey you."

"Hey."

Mercedes swallowed the contents and gave him a smile before sitting the spoon down, walking over to him, "Why you staring?"

"Because my wife is sight for sore eyes."

Mercedes pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips, "Because me being in sweats, no make up and my hair all over the place is attractive? Yeah, okay Sam."

Sam laughed at the disbelieving look on her face and pulled her to him, placing a tender kiss to her lips, "It is, and you know it is to me."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as a smile took over her face. Shaking her head, she leaned up and gave him a kiss before hugging him tightly, "I've gotten so use to you being here everyday, I don't want you to go back to work."

"You're not the only one." He mumbled as he hugged her back, watching as she loosen up to let go and get back to her task, "Getting things together for dinner?"

"Yes. I'm starting early so I can get it out of the way." Mercedes picked up a large bowl and sat it on the counter, "About tonight, are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Honestly? No." He shrugged as he picked up a bottle of water from the counter, making his way around the island, "I don't want my brother around our kid. It may seem wrong, but I really don't give a damn."

Mercedes stopped what she was doing and stared at him, "Sam.."

"Don't give me that look." He stressed as he frowned, "I know you've forgiven and let go of the past, and probably don't see anything wrong with it but I do."

"Don't turn this on me." Mercedes glared at her husband, seeing exactly where he was going with this, "I know what he did, trust me I know all too well. Just because I chose to forgive doesn't mean I'm ever going to forget. So, don't try to pull that shit on me."

Sam rolled his eyes as he stepped back, "Whatever." He turned and walked out, not wanting to get into a fight with her. He went to living room where he found Danielle asleep with Nova curled up on her chest, arm over her protectively. He bent down and pressed a kiss to both of their foreheads before heading out the house.

* * *

Danielle ran her hand through her recently straighten and cut hair as she walked back down the stairs, hearing the voices throughout the house. Her mom had decided that she wanted to spend Christmas Eve with both of their families. It sounded like a bad idea at first but it's honestly been a good night. Well, except for the obvious tension that was between her parents, and everyone else with her uncle. She didn't know what was up, but she had a feeling it had a lot to do with Saint. Speaking of him, once she got down the stairs, she headed to one of the living rooms, where she spotted all of her cousins. Smiling when she saw Alex and Timothy gushing over their little cousin Nova. It was there first time seeing the baby. For the first part of December, they were up north visiting their grandparents on their mother side. Speaking of her, she rolled her eyes when she saw Roxy next to Saint in the foyer. She still didn't like the woman and she guess she never would even though she did apologize for what she said.

"They really made you come to work for a surprise man version of a baby shower?" Sander snorted when his brother nodded his head, patting his shoulder, "Even I got to admit that it was pretty cool how it intertwined with the sport stories."

Cassie nodded in agreement, "I was appalled at how well it flowed. I was like, damn these folks are good at their jobs."

Sam let out a small chuckle at the two, turning his head a bit when he got a glimpse of Danielle. Seeing her roll her eye, he followed her line of sight and saw exactly who she was looking at, "Excuse me for a second y'all." He sat his cup down before he walked over to where she was, "You know you can tell them to leave if you don't want them here."

"You also know that, right?" Danielle asked as she raised a challenging brow, mirroring his facial expression as both of them let out a sigh, "Everyone's having a good time and I'm not going to ruin that. Keeping my distance is just what I'm going to do."

"Ditto." He got out just as he saw his wife come up, watching as she completely ignored him and spoke to their daughter.

"Do you mind getting some more ice cream from the deep freezer?"

"Sure, I'll be back." She said as she looked between her parents before turning on her heels.

Sam bit the inside of his cheek as he watched Mercedes brush pass him. She was pissed and he didn't how long she was going to ignore him, but he hated it. Groaning to himself, he turned around and headed to where the kids were.

Megan was busy talking to Sam's dad when she notice Mercedes go into the kitchen. Excusing herself, she followed behind her with her glass in her hand, "You know, this turned out really nice."

Mercedes smiled a smile that didn't really reach her eyes as she looked at her sister, "It did, didn't it?"

"Mhm, now tell me what's wrong." Megan said as she walked over to where she was, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I have both of my families here celebrating Christmas, good music, good food, and a house full of little kids on a sugar high. Nothing's wrong, everything's peachy." Mercedes picked up one of the Rice Krispies treat and bit into it

"Stop that." Megan frowned as she stared at her, "I hate when you close yourself up and pretend that everything's okay when it's not."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she sat her treat down, popping her mouth as she leaned back on the counter, "Sam and I got into it a bit this morning."

"I see only one reason you two would. Let me guess, he's pissed that you forgave his brother, that you let him come to your home tonight, he doesn't want him around Nova, or him to be honest, despite the therapy you all have been through?" Megan said as she took a sip of her wine, raising a brow once she nodded, "I agree with him. After everything that bastard did, I wouldn't want him in my home nor around my baby, period. You shouldn't either."

"Don't tell me what I should and should not want. I'm sick of people doing that shit. And you know what, I'm sick of everyone harboring onto this that happened over twenty years ago. Yes, it truly messed up. But guess what? We can't do anything about it. It's in the past and I'm over it, whether I want to be or not. Let it the fuck go." Mercedes hissed out as she sent her glare before turning on her heels and walking out the kitchen, not noticing Sam standing at the door.

Megan shook her head as she turned to look at him, raising her hands, "I don't know what just happened, but I won't be trying to talk to her for the rest of the night."

Cassie pushed off the door as she followed behind Mercedes, seeing that she went to her room, she quickly went and shut the door behind her, "Mercedes?"

"I just wanted us all to be together for one night. No drama, just family, surrounded by love and happiness because we have a new addition. Is that too much to fucking ask?" She ran her hand through her hair before sitting down on the bed, feeling the tears began to rush from her eyes, "Cassie, I know everyone is mad at Saint, I know that. But apart of me just want to forget what he did for a second. Even though I know I never will, I'm just trying to not let this be a consumption of my life anymore."

Cassie walked over and sat beside her sister, grabbing ahold of her hand, "Cedes, you don't have to explain anything to me, because I get it and I get you. I'm not even going to give you any advice, because you don't need it. Like you always tell me, listen to your heart, because your heart knows things that your mind don't."

Mercedes sighed as she laid her head down on her shoulder, causing the young woman to wrap her arms around her. She was thankful to have someone who understood where she was coming from.

* * *

"She is so small, Uncle Sam." Alex said as he watched the little girl drink her milk from her bottle, laying in her father arms as she stared up at him.

"Really small." Chance added as he sat beside Sam, assisting him with his every need as Elijah stood in front of him.

Danielle smiled at her little cousins as she leaned against the wall, looking up at the clock, "Alright you guys, I know you want to stay with the baby, but we are running out of time to get our movie in before we have to be in bed for Santa."

Sam watched as the younger ones eyes lit up, causing him to smile at their innocence, "Y'all go get your pajamas on and meet Dani in the movie room."

"Slow down." Danielle chuckled as she watched them practically run down the halls to the guest rooms, where they were staying for the night. The kids had all asked their parents if they could spend the night with their Uncle Sam, Aunt Mercedes, and cousins Danielle and Nova, with promises that they would pick them up in the morning.

Saint placed on his jacket as he finished talking to his mother, walking towards the living room. It has been a long day for him, mentally and emotionally. Having to be in a house with people who don't even like you can take a toll on a person. He knew and understood what he did was wrong, and he also knew that he couldn't apologize any more than has been. He was tired. Tired of people not believing that his apologies were genuine and tired of trying to make things right. Catching the boys as they ran out, he gave them a hug and told them that he would see them in the morning.

Sam bent down and kissed Nova's forehead, watching as a tiny smile rose at the corner of her lips. He smiled as he removed the bottle from her mouth and lifted her up so he could burp her. He looked up when he saw his brother hugging his kids, and internally sighed when stopped at the door.

Saint stared as his brother for what felt like the longest. Seeing him with his daughter brought up the guilt that he had been trying to lessen as he watched on, "I just wanted to thank you for having us tonight."

"Thank my wife." Sam responded in a short tone as he took his eyes off of him.

Saint nodded as he stepped back, clearing his throat, "Right, of course. I should've known. Merry Christmas, Sam." He whispered before turning around and heading towards the front door.

Roxy tucked in her lips as she watched her husband come back with a disappointed look on his face. It took them awhile, but they finally got their stuff together. She was never going to divorce her husband, because she loved him so much. The year long break they took showed her just that. It honestly broke her heart to see him in pain for what he did. The rehab and counseling really did help him, she just wished that everyone else could see it. She wrapped her arm around his and pressed a kiss to his cheek, whispering, "I love you, Saint."

"I love you too." He said as he sniffled, feeling his eyes start to water as he opened the door, "Let's go home."

Mercedes watched the interaction between the two as she stood at the side stairways, coming fully down and catching them before they walked down the steps, "Roxy, Saint?"

The couple stopped on the step and turned back to face the woman, who was now standing a few millimeters in front of them.

"I know everyone is not on good terms, but thank you for coming. It really means a lot to me." She played with her hand as her eyes went to Saint, "I know it's like a broken record because we've said it so many times, but we can't change the past. You did a horrible, messed up thing, Saint. I'm never going to forget that, but I'm not going to hate you forever because of it. And you know why? Hates takes to much energy, and it's going to make you rot until you're out of this world. I can't speak for Danielle and Sam, and I'm not going to. They can do whatever they feel, and I'm going to do what I feel. So, I'm letting you know this again and I want you to truly understand and believe me when I say I forgive you. It wasn't easy for me to get to this point, but I'm glad I did. Whether Sam likes it or not, you are family. And even if he doesn't want to admit it anymore, you are his brother and he does love you. If he didn't, he would've never went to those therapy sessions with you. He's stubborn and bullheaded as hell, but no matter what, family means everything to him..it means everything to me." She took a deep breath, not realizing she had started crying midway through until droplets hit her arm. She wiped her face, sniffling as she looked at him for a moment before leaning forward and hugging him tightly.

Saint hugged her back just as tight as he closed his eyes. Relief washed over him and he felt a part of his body released the anxiety and tension he had. It meant everything to hear what Mercedes had to say to him. Even though he hurt her, she forgave him and she honestly doesn't know how much that meant, "Thank you."

"Thank you." She repeated as she gave him a squeeze before pulling back, giving a small smile, "Continue with your therapy sessions, they do help."

Saint nodded as he stepped back by his wife, grabbing her hand, "I will."

Mercedes nodded as she shivered, stepping back inside the house, eyes dancing between the couple, "Merry Christmas to the both of you."

"Merry Christmas, Mercedes." Roxy said softly as she looked at the woman with gentle eyes, giving her a wave before they turned and headed for their car.

"Drive safe." Mercedes called after them before closing the door, taking a deep breath as she turned around, finding almost everyone, except the kids, standing in the foyer with different expressions painted across their face, "Say what you want, feel what you feel, but I'm done with bullshit. Merry Christmas." She said as she went over and gently removed Nova from Sam's arms, heading up the stairs without another word being said. Tomorrow was new day, and hopefully she'll be in a better mood.

* * *

 **A/N. Woosah, everyone needs to take a breather after this chapter. It started off so sweet, then turned sour. You can't blame Mercedes for trying to bring everyone together despite the hurt. But, she has to still learn that it's going to forever be hard for Sam and Danielle. Honestly, I kind of in the middle but more on her side. I get how Sam and Dani are feeling, but I also get how Mercedes is feeling. Will the time come when everyone really, honestly, and finally move on from the past? I don't know man, and me being the writer, I legit have a soft spot for this new Saint. He's improving himself and that's what matters. It really breaks my heart too, just like Roxy said, that no one can or wants to see how much he has changed.**


	38. Everything's Better On Christmas

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes smiled down at Nova as she snapped close the long sleeved red onesie, bending down to place a kiss on her cheek. Picking her up from the bed, she hummed out lowly as she grabbed the blanket and placed it over her. Hearing the kids voices coming from the living room, she stepped out into the hallway and made her way downstairs. She had woke up in a better mood than she was in last night. She had got some things off her chest, and she was honestly relieved. Heading to the kitchen, she walked over and laid Nova down in the baby lounger that was on the counter, so she could keep an eye on her while she cooked.

Sam took some more pictures of the kids with his camera, smiling at their excitement. Like clockwork, they had woke up at six to see if they had anything under the tree. For the younger kids, he made sure that he had got a present from Santa and then him, Mercedes, Dani, and Nova. Speaking of his wife and baby, he took one last picture and made his way to the kitchen. Mercedes hasn't spoken to him at all. After she stormed out last night, she put their little girl to sleep and went straight bed. He was kind of hurt by that. He understood where she was coming from, but he couldn't find it in him to have anything to do with his brother. If you want the truth, he believed that the therapy sessions only made their relationship worse. But one thing he did mean, he didn't want him around Nova. He had no problem that Mercedes had forgiven him, she was grown and made her own decisions, but he did not want his little girl around him. He stopped at the threshold, letting a small smile take over his lips as he lift his camera to take a picture of the woman stirring the batter in the large bowl.

Mercedes watched her as she stirred, who was staring back at her, "Pretty girl." She chuckled when a tiny smile twitched on her lips. Seeing a flash go off, she lifted her head and found her husband taking a picture of them.

Sam removed the camera from his sight, staring back at the woman, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

Sam watched as she took her eyes off him and went back to her task. Sighing, he sat his camera down and walked over to where Nova was, smiling brightly as he looked at her, "It's your first Christmas, baby girl."

Mercedes smiled as she watched Sam bend down and kiss her cheek, turning on the stove as she sat the bowl down. She opened the awaiting hot oven and placed the sheet pan that was full of bacon in, closing it back.

Sam moved the blanket down before stepping back, going over to where his wife was, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, engulfing her into a big hug, "I love you so much and I'm sorry for leaving yesterday morning the way I did, and the way I acted last night. Can you please stop being mad at me? I hate it when you are."

Mercedes sighed as she gave in, letting her body relaxed against his, "I just want all this bad blood to stop."

"It's never going to stop, Mercedes." He stated honestly as he pulled back and stared at her, "You are your own woman, and if you want to forgive him, that's fine. It's your choice and I'm not mad at you for it, but I'm not about to do so. Like I've been saying all along, I can't change how I feel."

"And I want you to know that I'm not trying to make you or Dani feel like you have to. All I asking is to just be cordial, that's all." She unwrapped her arms from around him and went back to cooking, taking some of the batter and pouring it into the awaiting skillet.

"I'm sorry." Sam stared at her for a moment before speaking again, "I meant what I said though, I don't want him or his wife around Nova."

"You can have that for now, but when she gets older and able to understand everything, it's going to be her choice."

"I agree, but for now, I'm making it for her." He said finally as he watched her closely, "Can we just drop this, and go back to being happy?" Seeing her let out another sigh, he went back over to hug her from behind, pressing a kiss to the side of her head, "You're so stubborn."

Mercedes let out a humph as she she flipped the four pancakes, "That's coming from you out of all people."

Sam smirked as he watched her place the pancakes on the platter before pouring the next batch of batter in. He waited until she was done before he turned her around, dropping a kiss to her lips, "I love you." He grabbed something from his pocket and slid it in her hand, "Merry Christmas again."

Mercedes looked down at her hand and found a coupon type book. Reading the writing on the outside, a smile grace her lips as a giggle escaped out when she read the front. _Husband_ _Apology Coupons. Inside are coupons for various things. This is strictly for the use of when I piss you off. Love you so very much, Sam._ She looked back at him, leaning forward and kissing him soundly, "Thank you."

"The rest of your presents are under the tree, but I just wanted to give you this one first." Sam said as he made his way back over to a sleeping Nova, smiling just as the kitchen filled with kids.

"Merry Christmas, Aunt Cedes."

"Jesus, I didn't realize it was this many of you." Mercedes snorted as they all broke out into laughter, "Merry Christmas, babies. Now y'all go back in that living room and clean up all the paper I know you left on the floor. When you get done, go ahead and sit at the table. Breakfast is almost ready."

Sam watched as all six of them did what she said, chuckling as he went to the refrigerator to get the juices and fruit out, "It really is a lot of them."

Danielle adjusted the reindeer antlers on her head before picking up the two gifts. Seeing all of her cousins heading back into the living room, she turned down the hall and went to the kitchen. Taking a deep breath as she walked in, she saw her parents in perfect sync taking the food and placing in the dining room. She was actually very happy that they apparently got over the drama from last night. Once they came back in, she decided to speak to them before they headed back into room, "Merry Christmas mom and dad." She spoke softly as she walked fully in, giving them both their gifts, "I just want to let you know that I love you both and I'm really glad that we are together as a family on this day. It one of the first Christmases that I have ever felt complete."

"Aw, sweetheart." Mercedes gave her a smile as she wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly.

Danielle sniffled as she hugged her back, "I love you so much, mom."

"I love you, too."

Sam watched with a smile as Mercedes pulled back and kissed her cheek, causing him to clear his throat, "Do I get some love, too?"

"A-Absolutely." Danielle got out as she walked over and hugged him, lingering on a little bit longer than she did with her mom.

Sam pressed a kiss to her head as he hugged her back, hearing her began to cry, his grip tighten around her.

Mercedes smiled sadly as she stepped back and went behind the counter, picking up Sam's abandoned camera, she turned the flash off and lifted it up, snapping a few pictures before she sat it back down. She went over and carefully picked up Nova before exiting out to give the father and daughter some alone time.

 _Danielle eyes popped open as she turned her head, squealing when she saw a little bit of the sun out. Throwing the covers off of her body, she got out of bed and put on her bunny slippers. Opening the door, she slid into the hall and ran until she got to the other room at the end. Seeing the door cracked opened, she peeped in and saw her mother still sleeping. She chewed on her lip, debating if she wanted to wake her up or not, but decided to do so. Getting into the bed, she walked carefully and plopped on top of the twenty three year old woman, "Mommy, wake up."_

 _Mercedes let out a groan when she felt the small body on her, hearing the squeaky voice of her daughter, she slowly opened her eyes and stared at the five year old, whispering, "What's wrong, baby?"_

 _"It's Christmas!" She said with a wide toothy grin, causing a smile to appear on her mom's face do to her excitement, "Get up, mommy. We have to see what Santa brought us."_

 _"Dani, five more minutes love. It's not even seven o'clock.." Mercedes words fell death upon her ears as she watched the young girl rip the covers off of her and pull her by her arm, "Okay, okay."_

 _Danielle giggled as she watched her mom get out of bed, bouncing on her toes as she waited until she put her house shoes on. When she did, she grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her room._

 _Mercedes kept her balance as the little girl tug her down the stairs, quite surprised by her strength. She smiled once they went to the living room, watching as she let go of her hand and head towards the presents. She chuckled as she watched the little girl's eyes go wide before diving in, sitting down on the couch as she picked up her camera that was on the table to snap some pictures. Pure happiness and joy was how she loved to see her daughter. She was doing the best she could being a single mom, and trying to finish up medical school. Danielle was her motivation, she was going this for her and so she would never have to want for anything._

 _Danielle smiled as she pulled one of the big presents from under the tree and placed it on the table. She looked at the tab and took her finger, sounding out each word, "T-To Danielle, f-r-o-m Mommy."_

 _"Very good, baby." Mercedes said proudly as she watched her smile before opening the gift. For two years, Mercedes has been teaching Dani how to read, write, and spell. She wanted to start her early on learning things before she entered kindergarten._

 _Danielle gasped when she moved the paper down, a big smile on her lips as she looked back up at her mother, "Thank you mommy."_

 _Mercedes giggled when she came and jumped on her, hugging her tightly. Danielle has been obsessed with elephants every since she took her to the zoo two months ago. So, she brought her little one everything with elephants. A blanket, stuffed animal, stack of coloring books, stickers, shirts, and a bracelet._

 _Danielle kissed her cheek before pulling back and staring at her, "I can't wait till I'm big, I am going to buy you everything in the world."_

 _Mercedes smiled as she moved her hair back, kissing her nose, "You're the absolute sweetest."_

Danielle sniffled as she turned her face and laid her head on his chest, loosening up her grip. She didn't realize she needed to let that out until now. She loved her dad so much, and she never wanted to spend another day, another Christmas, or another holiday without him.

* * *

 **A/N. I'm going to be taking a little hiatus from this story, but don't worry, it'll be back before you know it! Let me know your thoughts on this chapter, and what you would you like to see in the future or any certain flashback you want. See you guys soon! :)**


	39. Daddy's Girls

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **Nathan Smith- BJ Mitchell**

 **4 Month Time Jump / Mid-April**

* * *

"For your final, I want you to write a four page paper on why you want to become a teacher. It's a simple assignment folks, so there's no reason you should not do it. I'll see you on Monday, have a great weekend."

Danielle placed her book and binder in her bag before standing up, throwing on her book bag as she walked out the classroom. It was coming to an end of another semester and she was beyond happy. She had one more year left of college and then she would be entering the real world. But lets rewind it back, she was so anxious for the summer. Her professor was wanting her Cultural Experiences class to make this two week trip to Spain. Her parents were really iffy about but she had ended up convincing them on letting her go.

"Hey Dani."

Danielle came out of thoughts when she exited out of the building, seeing her best friend come up to her, "Hey Lo, what's up?"

Lourdes smiled as she looped her arm with hers as they began to walk, "Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"No, I'm off until Tuesday."

"Great." She said as she looked at her, "Because there's a party that we are definitely going to, mama."

"Uh, no."

"Oh come on, sis. It's the biggest end of the year party at David's. Everyone is going to be there. We don't even have to stay long."

Danielle rolled her eyes as she looked forward, "You know I don't do parties. I'm not the partying type."

"I know." Lourdes sighed as she ran her free hand through her hair, "I don't want to pressure you to do something you don't want to do."

"Just because I don't want to go, doesn't mean you don't. Call up Shayla or someone else."

"But you're my best friend, I want to go with you." She pouted as she laid her head down on her shoulder, keeping up her pace as she did so. She was just about to open her mouth to speak until she saw a familiar face, smirking to herself before she called out, pulling her into the direction of the person, "Hey Nathan."

Danielle followed her line of sight as her eyes went wide, hitting her in her side with her elbow, muttering to only where she could hear her, "Stop."

Nathan turned around when he heard his name being called, seeing who it was, he gave an unknowingly nervous smile, "Hey Lourdes...hi Danielle."

Danielle gave him a small smile as she nodded into his direction, tucking her hair behind her ear as she internally groaned.

Lourdes smiled between the two before her eyes trained on Nathan, "Are you going to the party tomorrow night?"

"I actually was going to stop by for a few minutes but I changed my mind. Parties aren't really my scenes." He said as he adjusted his book bag strap on his shoulder, eyes moving over to Danielle, "How about y'all?"

"I was but my beautiful, _single_ best friend over here isn't. She isn't the partying type either." If looks could kill, Lourdes would be dead in a grave by now with the glares Danielle was shooting her.

Nathan saw how irritated she was and he couldn't help but chuckle, "Well, I was just going to head to the movies for the night."

"What were you going to see?"

"It's old school movie night so.." He drifted off as he continued to look at Danielle, his nervousness getting to the best of him before he decided to go for it, "W-Would you like to come? I mean, only if you want too..I just thought it would be great since you don't want to go to the party and oh my god, I'm going to shut up now."

Lourdes couldn't help but smirk and shake her head at his nervousness. Looking over at her best friend, she smiled brightly when she saw how red she was. This was too good. They were freaking adorable.

Danielle tucked her hair behind her ear as she looked towards the ground. Okay, she had to admit that she has had a crush on Nathan since last year when they met at a banquet. He was your typical sweet southern boy, who played basketball and kept straight A's, "Um..I don't know, can I get back to you?"

"Sure." He said as he pulled something from his pocket, handing her a business card towards her, "My number is on there.."

Danielle took the card from him and nodded, sending him a shy smile, "I'll let you know."

"Great. I'll be waiting." He admitted as he stepped back and bid them a good day before he walked away.

"See what happens when you let me interfere..ouch." She yelped when the girl hit her on the arm, eyes going wide as she rubbed her shoulder and followed behind her friend once she walked off.

* * *

Mercedes leaned back in the chair with a smile on her face as she looked down at her now four month old daughter, who was laying on her. The last couple of months has been nothing but wonderful. Baby Nova was a blessing in disguise for this family, and it truly showed.

Sam opened the door to the patio, where he found his two girls. He smiled at the scene before walking over and kissing both of them. He has been enjoying every aspect of being a father to a new baby. Although it was an emotional start, it turned out to be one of the best things that has happened to him, "Hey mama."

Mercedes watched as a smile took over the little girl's lips as she wailed her arms wildly, "Yep, she's officially a daddy's girl."

Sam chuckled as he picked her up from Mercedes, numbing on her cheek, listening to small laughter escape her. He smiled as he sat down next to his wife, "How was your day off?"

Mercedes had went back to work after a month of having Nova. Being so attached to her baby, she had a difficult time leaving her, but the upside of having to find her a sitter wasn't hard at all because Sander volunteered to keep his niece while they worked since he was still not putting his degree to work yet, "It was great. Novs and I just lounged around all day, and I got a chance to make some fried green tomatoes and use your dad's crab meat remoulade recipe as you can see. I'm in heaven."

Sam laughed as he pressed a kiss the side of Nova's head as he stood her up, watching as she placed her hands in her mouth. He stared at her for a moment and couldn't help but smile. She had really grown into her features and not much has changed. It was still funny at the simple fact that she looked exactly like him, just like Mercedes said when she first held her. The only things that was different was the fact that she had a mix of straight and curly hair, brown eyes with a few green specks, her skin was smooth caramel color.

"We even watched your segment today. I have to admit, you're pretty hot when you're debating."

Sam pursed his lips and sent her a glare, "Don't start nothing, Mercedes."

"What?" She laughed at the look he was giving her, shrugging, "I'm just saying, you make debating sport stories with panels very interesting, my love."

Sam huffed out as he rolled his eyes at her, leaning back in his own chair, "Anyways, they still want you to come back for an episode. You're the one who is interesting."

"Um, no." Mercedes giggled as she shook her head, "That's was a one time deal. I'm not for the public eye, I'm a behind the scenes type of gal."

Sam laughed as he nodded his head knowingly. He loved him wife so much, "Have you spoken to Danielle?"

Mercedes shook her head as she ran another piece of her fried tomato in the sauce before placing it in her mouth, "She texted me earlier, but that was it."

"She's avoiding me like a plague. Nathan asked me today if it was okay if he could take her out tonight."

Mercedes smiled at his words, much to Sam's dismay. You see, since Nathan was a graduating in sports journalism in two weeks, he took on an internship with Sports Deck. And in someway, he ended up being Sam's intern. When Mercedes met the young man a few weeks ago, she genuinely took a liking to him, "And knowing you, what's the problem you have with it, Samuel?"

"I can't find one yet and I hate it like hell." He frowned as he turned to look at her, "He's a damn good kid. He even had enough respect of coming to ask me, even though they're both grown."

Mercedes leaned over and placed a kiss to his cheek, "He's a good one."

"Yeah..he better not break her heart though, or we're definitely going to have a problem." Sam said just as Nova began to cry, looking back at her, he pouted slightly, "What's wrong mama?"

"She's hungry, let me fix her a bottle." Mercedes said as she scooted back in the chair and stood up, heading into the kitchen.

"Shh, it's okay. Mommy's going to get you something to eat." He kissed her cheek, rubbing her back gently as he swayed from side to side. After a few moments, Mercedes came back in with a warm bottle, handing it to him. He settled her in the crook of his arm, placing it in her mouth and watched as she instantly started to suck on it.

Mercedes turned when she heard something vibrating on the table, groaning when it was her work pager, "No, no, not my day off." She pouted when she picked it up and read it, mumbling, "Dammit, baby I have to go. There's was a fire downtown and they need me." She sighed as she went and placed a kiss to her daughter's forehead before leaning up and kissing him, "I love you."

"I love you, too. Be safe out there." He called after her when she ran out, getting a yelled out ' _okay_ ' in response. He looked back down and found Nova staring at him, he smiled as he tapped her nose, "Looks like it's just me and you, Novs." Nova continued to stare at him until her eyes began to droop, causing Sam's heart to instantly melt.


	40. A Blast From The Past

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **1 Month Time Jump / June**

 **Raquel Sutton- Tracy Spiridakos**

* * *

"I've created this new dip and I can't wait for everyone to try it." Mike spoke as he signed a chart, closing it and looking up at Mercedes, "Thank you for hosting the first barbecue of the summer."

Mercedes dropped her phone into her pocket, sending him a smile, "Ah, no problem. I really had a good time with everyone at Christmas, I actually couldn't wait to host something again."

"Minus Saint, it was great."

"Mike."

"I know, sorry." Mike shrugged as he leaned against the desk, sighing, "It's just, you're a real Christian woman for forgiving him, seriously. I couldn't do it."

"Everyone may think I'm stupid for doing so but I don't care. Forgiving doesn't mean forgetting. I was serious when I said I don't want any hate in my heart, not anymore."

"Dr. Jones, you're needed in the ER, we have an overflow."

"I'll talk you later." Mercedes told her friend after she heard the page for her, heading over to the elevator, she pushed it and stepped in when it opened, pressing number one. Humming to herself lowly as she watched the numbers go down, she couldn't help but think about the amazing last couple months she has had. Danielle was going to be a senior in college in the fall, her baby girl will be six months this next week and she was an absolutely joy, and her and Sam was doing beyond great. She was loving her life at the moment, and very grateful for the people in it. Stepping off the elevator when it stopped and opened, she headed to the nurses station and grabbed a stack of charts that were waiting and headed to the first room, moving to curtain back, "Hi, my name is Dr. Jones, who do we have here today?" Mercedes asked with a smile as she looked from the woman and the little girl, who was lying in the bed.

"I'm Raquel and this is my daughter McKenna." She said as she stood up from the chair, "We literally just got off the plane and I think she has come down with something. She started coughing erratically and complaining that her head was hurting along with her throat."

"From the sounds of it, it seems like she has caught a seasonal cold, but I'll double check to make sure what's going on, pretty girl."

McKenna smiled at the woman when she rubbed her cheek, holding onto her stuffed teddy bear tightly as she watched her placed on some gloves.

"Where are y'all from?"

"Arizona. It's summer time, so my little sunshine is going be with family down here this year."

"That's pretty cool, I bet your going to have load of fun, McKenna." Mercedes picked up her flashlight and popsicle stick, "Open wide."

Raquel brushed McKenna's hair back from out of her eyes, watching as Mercedes checked her throat and then the inside of her ears. She tucked her hair behind her ears as she waited for her to finish up, "Is that what it is?"

"Yes ma'am, it is. Luckily it's not that serious and you came in right on time before it worsen." Mercedes took the gloves off and washed her hands, "I normally don't give kids below the age of five a shot, just something I don't do personally. Instead, I have this syrup that works wonders for everything and I'm going prescribe that to her. Along with soups and lots of fluids, she should be fine in two days tops." She turned around and smiled at them, "Is there anything else you need?"

"No, you've been great. Thanks a lot for your help."

"No problem, I'll have the nurse bring you the syrup and discharge papers." Mercedes started as she went to the bed, staring down at the girl with a smile before lightly pinching her cheek, "Feel better, little miss McKenna." Mercedes waved before stepping out, handing the chart over to the nurse and telling her what was needed before she moved on to the next patient.

* * *

Sam sat back in his seat at the bar, looking at the TV. It was a little after one in the morning and he had just gotten off from work. Like always, he decided to stop at the restaurant Cassie worked at because it stayed open late and they had some really good food, before he headed home. It's been a busy couple of months for him and he was glad to be done with the late shifts for the next three months.

"Last late night, right?"

"Yes ma'am, I'm grateful that it's the last one until football season starts back up."

"Well, even though Mercedes works late sometimes too, I'm sure she is glad." Cassie smiled as she refilled his glass of root beer and slid his plate in front of him, "Speaking of her, are y'all working on baby number three yet?"

Sam snorted at that, "We just had another one, Cassie."

"I'm just saying, you two can pop one more out before all y'all necessary requirements turn into dust."

Sam glared at her once she bursting out laughing, shaking his head as he began to do so as well.

"Holler if you need anything."

"Thank you, this looks really good by the way." Sam chuckled at her _I know_ before she headed to the back. Picking up his fork and knife, he began to cut his steak into pieces before pouring the sauce on top. Once he finish, he pulled his phone from his pocket to text his wife, even though she was most likely asleep, letting her know that he'll be home within the hour.

"Despite knowing what state and city you move to, you're a hard man to find."

Sam froze for a second at the sound of the familiar voice, a frown instantly playing on his lips when he turned to the side, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?" She smirked as she placed her purse on the counter, crossing her legs, "It's been awhile."

"Not long enough. How did you find me?"

"A lady never reveals her sources." She smiled cheekily, leaning over to take his drink and claim it as her own, "You left town before we could even discuss some things."

"We have nothing to discuss."

"Oh, but we do." She turned her head and pulled out a folder from her purse and placed it on the counter, sliding it to him, "You see here Sam, you may have America fooled by that little story you told about you and your family, but I know that's not truth. Danielle may be your daughter but she was not in your life this whole time and you know it. Your biggest mistake was not remembering who was really in your life during the time."

"What's your endgame here, Raquel? What do you want? Money?"

"I just want you to take care of your child." She gestured for him to open the folder, watching as he did so with a happy expression crossing her features, "Congratulations, you're a daddy again."

Sam's eyes went wide at the photos of a brunette head little girl with big green eyes, feeling his heart began to beat rapidly, "W-What?"

Raquel took a sip of the beer, feeling the coldness of it sliding down her throat, "We have a three year old daughter name McKenna Rae Evans."

"That's not possible."

"It is. You were never married in the last twenty years and sure as hell never had a daughter because we had an unlabeled relationship for the past six years. Before you left, that night in Phoenix when you said that this was our last time sleeping together, someone forgot to use protection because you were a drunk, sloppy, horny mess." She picked up his abandoned fork and stuck into a piece of steak and placing it in her mouth, moaning in delight at the taste, "I would hate for your new found family to find out about this the hard way. I actually met your wife already. See, our little girl came down with a cold and I took her to the nearest hospital when we arrived. She's such a nice woman and was very sweet to McKenna. It's a shame she didn't know she was examining her step-daughter." Raquel smiled tauntingly as she leaned over and squeezed his shoulder, "Not sorry that I've dropped all of this on you though. You should learn not to play with someone's heart."

Sam clenched his jaw tightly as he stared at the pictures before his eyes went back to her. Before he could even get anything else out, he saw Cassie coming back out and her smile dropped from her face as she looked between them.

Cassie glared at the woman, who was dressed in the tight fitting short black dress, and devilish colored red lipstick, her eyes going to her brother in law, "Is there a problem here, Sam?"

"No, Cas everything is fine, she was just leaving."

"Of course I was. The steak was tasty by the way." She tossed Cassie a smug smile as she slid from the stool. She moved close to Sam, bending down to whisper in his ear while slipping a card in the pocket of his dress shirt, "If you don't want your secrets to be all over the news outlets in a couple of hours, you'll call me. If not, I may just drop by the hospital again to speak to your lovely wife."

"Stay the hell away from her."

Raquel just smirked before she leaned down and pressed a kissed to his cheek, giggling once he pulled back, "I'll be talking to you soon."

"What the fuck is going on, Sam? Who was that?"

Sam got up from his seat, leaving the money on the counter before grabbing his stuff and walking out, ignoring Cassie calls for him, her questions where his own as he got into his truck.

* * *

"And I think I'm doing it completely wrong..again." Danielle murmured out loud as she looked down at her little sister as she played with her toy keys, blowing out a defeated breath.

Mercedes came into the room with her tea in her hand, laughing at her eldest as she sat down on the couch, "By the time you get it right, she's going to be potty trained."

Danielle pursed her lips at her mother before turning around, sighing as she looked at Nova, who was staring back at her with wide eyes, giggling, "Great, you're laughing at me too."

Mercedes smiled at her before shaking her head, watching as she fumbled with diaper, "Bring her and l'll show you once more, Dani."

"Come on Novs." Danielle stood up from the floor and picked up her baby sister, making her way over to their mother.

Mercedes grabbed Nova and laid her down, placing the clean diaper underneath her, "Alright, let's go through this step by step."

Sam came to a stop when he heard Mercedes and Danielle talking, he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. After what happen a hours ago, he was beyond mad for so many reasons. Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath before pushing off the wall and heading into the living room.

"Ah, I got it now." Danielle smiled at her mom once she finished, leaning over to pick Nova up again, she saw Sam come in, "Hey dad."

"Hey love." Mercedes greeted her husband, sending him a smile, "I didn't hear you come in this morning."

"Yeah, I got in around three." He said as he stared at her for awhile, his eyes flickering over to his daughters, "Dani?"

"Yes?"

"Can I speak to mother alone please?"

"Sure." Danielle gave him a curious look before picking up a slip of paper from the table, "Nova and I will just take that trip to grocery store, and yes mom, I will not forget your watermelon."

"Thank you baby, be safe out there." She watched as she nodded before walking out the living room. Her eyes went to her husband, who was acting kind of odd, "What's going on?"

Sam swallowed the lump in his throat as he went to sit beside her, not daring to look at her as he balled his hands up, "I'm being blackmailed."

"What?" Mercedes almost shouted as she stared at him in shock, "What are you talking about?"

"A girl from my past came and found me at Cassie's last night. We met years ago and fooled around over that course. She met you yesterday. Her name is Raquel and um, she has a kid that she say is mines. She threatened to tell the world the truth about what really happen between us if I don't agree to be in her daughter's life."

Mercedes stood up in disbelief, running her hands over her face looking at him again, "That little girl that l saw, she's yours?"

"I don't know for sure but.." He stood up and stood in front of her, shaking his head disappointedly, "I'm going to find, baby. Do you hear me? I'm going to find out the truth."

"I need a minute." Mercedes spoke quietly as she stepped back when he came to her, feeling her throat began to close up, "I-I need some air."

Sam felt his eyes starting to water as he watched her walked out the room, yelling out in frustration, he walked over to wall and punched it.

Mercedes closed the door behind her once she got to the backyard, sliding down until she was sitting on the steps of the patio. Taking deep breaths, she covered her hands over her face, feeling wetness against them. After a few minutes, she calmed herself down enough to get up and head back into the house. Seeing Sam standing at the kitchen door with a solemn expression on his face, she walked to where he was, eyes not meeting his as she spoke, "Call your lawyer now, get a restraining order and a paternity test."

Sam watched as she walked passed him and headed up the stairs. He pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it, scrolling down to find the number. This was really happening.

* * *

Sam spent majority of his day talking with his lawyer about everything. He had did what he needed to do to keep this situation private by having a gag order placed on Raquel. He tried not to think about the possibility of her child being his but it was hard. Coming out of his thoughts, he turned his head when he heard some of their friends and family enter the kitchen. Speaking, he watched as they sat down their items they brought and got busy preparing everything. Getting up from his seat, he saw Cassie come in and make her way to him. He knew he had a lot to explain, especially with what she saw, but he was trying his best to keep as many people as he could out of this.

"She put her mouth on your face and you left without an explanation. I swear to you, if you're cheating on my sister." Cassie started in a hush whisper as she stared at him angrily, pulling back when he grabbed her arm.

"I'm not, Cassie." He whispered back harshly as he stared at her, "You know me better than that."

"Apparently I don't."

Sam grabbed her arm once more and led her out of the kitchen, speaking lowly so no one could heard him. He explained to her what was going on and to his surprise, her angry features did not falter, "Did you listen to anything I just said?"

"I did, and honestly, this is your fault." Cassie brushed passed him and headed outside. Cassie was always the mutual one but always had his back against everyone, but this time around and for some reason, she was beyond pissed at her brother in law and wanted nothing to do with him at the moment.

"Minnie or Tweety Bird, which one Novs? It's not like she can answer you, duh Danielle." Danielle chastised herself as she held her sister, looking down at the two swimsuits, "Lets go with Minnie, that way I can wear my red and white polka dot one."

Mercedes smiled as she leaned against the door and watched her daughters. It always warmed her heart to see these two together, their relationship was so sweet already and that was everything to her.

Danielle sat her down on her carpet for a second before going to her closet, failing to notice her mother was standing there. She peeked over her shoulder to check on Nova before grabbing something and coming back out quickly.

Mercedes pushed off the door and headed back down the stairs, sticking her hands in the back of her pockets as she entered the kitchen. She saw her dad and brother had taken the meats outside to the awaiting grill, while the kids were in the pool and their family and friends were sitting on the patio talking.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"Nothing mama."

Diane gave her a knowing look as she sat her water down on the counter, "I know when something's wrong with you, so tell me."

Mercedes stared outside for a moment before her eyes went to hers, "You and dad have been together for almost fifty years, how did y'all do it?"

"It hasn't always been easy." Diane said as she sat down, patting for her to come sit next to her, when she did, she grabbed ahold of her hand, "We've had our fair share of ups and downs and we did our best to hide away from you and your siblings growing up. Marriage is tough and whoever says it isn't, is lying. You're going to have many things that you don't agree on and frustration will run high but you will have to come together as husband and wife and talk it out." She stared at her for a moment, leaning over to move her hair from out of her stressed face, "You don't have to tell me your business, but if you're hurting and I can do something about it, let me know."

At her words and without a warning, tears rushed down her cheeks and a feeling that she hasn't felt in years overtook her body, "There's a possibility that Sam has a three year old daughter."

"What?" Diane exclaimed in shock, seeing her nod her head before her face crumpled up a bit.

"It feels like I just got my life back together, only for it to fall back apart."

"Oh baby." Diane breathed out shockingly as she leaned over and wrapped her arms around her daughter, "I'm sorry."

"The child, she's innocent in all of this." She sniffled as she looked down, wiping her eyes some, "If she is Sam's daughter.."

"Mommy, Nova won't stop crying." Danielle came into the kitchen with a screaming Nova in her arms, failing to see her mother's sadness as she unknowingly interrupted them, "She doesn't need a diaper change and I tried to feed her but she's not hungry."

"Nap time, Dani, remember?" Mercedes gave her a soft smile as she picked Nova from her arms, seeing the realization come across the young woman's face. She pressed a kiss to her cheek before rocking her, "I'll be back."

"I'm not cut out of this big sister thing." Danielle huffed out as she took her mother's abandoned seat, pouting slightly.

"Yes you are." Diane and Mercedes said at the same time, causing the older girl to let out a smile.

Mercedes headed to the living room and took a seat on the couch, looking down at the red faced, agitated baby as she began to calm down.

Sam came out of the guest room and found Mercedes with Nova on the couch. Taking a deep breath, he went over and took a seat beside her, listening to the subdued cries from their little one as she slowly drifted off to sleep, "I know that you're mad right now.."

"I'm not mad, Sam."

"I would understand if you were. I should've told you about her but I figured it wouldn't even matter. Moving back here was my clean slate and I had no idea that I would ever see you again, let alone be with you again." He said softy as he watched her for a moment, seeing her get teary eyed really broke his heart, "I was a broken man and because I was, I may have a child out of it. If she is mines, I have to do the right thing and take care of my responsibility, Mercedes."

"And you assume that I wouldn't want you to do that?" Mercedes stared at him in disbelief, shaking her head as she stood up, "It isn't her fault and I would never mistreat her because she isn't biologically mine. If anything, I would treat her if she was my own."

"I wasn't assuming that you wouldn't'."

Mercedes pulled her phone from out of her pocket when it dinged, picking it up, she looked at the message and then Sam, laughing bitterly as more tears fell, "This day just keeps getting better and better."

Sam watched as she tossed her phone on the couch and turned to head upstairs. He bent down and picked up, seeing that it was the photo of him and Raquel when she kissed his cheek. He closed his eyes and slumped down on the couch defeatedly. This day couldn't get any worse.


	41. Unbreakable

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELESE.**

" **SYMPHONY"- CLEAN BANDIT FT. ZARA LARSSON**

* * *

 _I've been hearing symphonies, before all I heard was silence_

Sam sighed as he dropped the pencil from the sketch, looking down at Nova, who was sitting in his lap drinking her bottle, "Daddy has messed up big time, little one. I was a really messed up person before you entered this world and now we're all paying for my mistakes." He watched as her eyes stared back into his, curiosity shining through hers while guilt took over his, "Hopefully I can be a better man for you Nova. Someone you can look up to and be proud to call your dad."

Mercedes stopped outside the door when she heard Sam talking, heart breaking at his words to their daughter. She knocked on the door, hearing him sniffle and watching as he turn away so she wouldn't see his tears but it was too late.

"Yeah?"

"I was just letting you know dinner was here." She whispered as he nodded, she started to step back but stopped, her feet moving inside of his office instead, "Sam?"

"Mhm?"

Mercedes went over and picked Nova out of his arms, "I'll be right back." She watched as he nodded once more before leaving the room. Going upstairs, she headed to Dani's room and knocked on the door until she came and opened it. She asked if she could watch Nova for a moment and she agreed as she took her little sister from her. When she left her, she went down the hallway to her and Sam's bedroom to grab something.

 _A rhapsody for you and me, and every melody is timeless_

Sam sighed as he realized Mercedes was gone longer than expected and he knew that she was probably trying to get herself together before she faced him again. But then it goes to show to never assume anything. She came back in with a familiar brown book in her hands and it brought even more tears to his eyes.

"You know why I wanted you to keep this?" She asked as she opened it up to the page and flipped it around, showing him the two pieces paper. One was his admittance paper, the other was his discharge paper for rehab, "As a reminder that this was your past and you overcame it. You can't let how you was and what you did back then define who you are today. You're an amazing father, Sam." She stated as she stood in front of him, "And an even better husband, don't ever question that. I'm not mad at you at all, far from it and I'm sorry if it seemed like I was last night. It's just.." She stopped as tears slid down her own cheeks, wiping them away with her hand, "I'm just tired of people trying to ruin our happiness."

"I'm so sorry, baby."

Mercedes bent down to where he was and wrapped her arms around him, feeling him lay his head forward on her shoulder, "I'm never going to leave your side. We're going to get through this as a family."

 _Life was stringing me along, then you came and you cut me loose_

"I don't deserve you Mercedes, I really don't." He let out hoarsely as he cried into her shoulder, trying his best to stop but he couldn't, "I-I never meant for anything like this to happen."

"I know." She said as she pressed a kiss to his cheek before tightening her arms around him, "Everything is going to be okay."

"I-I'm not so sure."

"I am because regardless of what that test says, I'm never going to leave you. This is something that will not break us, Sam. That's a promise."

 _Was solo singing on my own, now I can't find the key without you_

* * *

Mercedes tucked her hair behind her ear as she stared at the door in front of her, eyes drifting to the clock briefly to check the time. She had a feeling that she was going to regret doing this but at the moment she didn't care, she had some things to get off her chest and make clear. Hearing her door open without a knock, she stood up knowingly as her eyes focused on the woman as she came in.

"Well, it's certainly nice to see you again Dr. Jones and may I just say that I had the most perfect timing to execute my plan because there's obviously trouble in your marriage. How I know is because you didn't refer to yourself as Dr. Evans." Raquel smirked as she stared at her, holding up her finger when she open her mouth, "Maybe I should tell you the story of how Sam and I's daughter was conceive. It was one rainy night in Phoenix."

" _Why can't we just be together, Sam?" Raquel asked as she stared at the man in front of her, watching him pour himself yet another glass of Bourbon, "We've been meeting up three times a month in secret for the past six years, I want more."_

 _Sam laughed at her as he took a long sip, rolling his eyes as he refilled the glass once more, "I don't do relationships, you know that."_

" _I know I'm not the only one but I should be." Raquel rolled her own eyes as she sat back in the bed, shaking her head, "I can't believe you. I've been here for you more than your own family and this is how you repay me? Using me for sex and just tossing me to side until you want me again."_

" _You could've been stopped fooling with me baby girl but you didn't. Don't get it twisted." He said as he walked wobbly over to where she was, smiling smugly, "Its been a fun ride but I'm done with you. It's time to move on, that's why what we had is now over with after tonight. Find a man that's going give you what you want." He sat down and moved her hair from her face, leaning down and kissed her neck roughly and sloppily, "One last time."_

 _Raquel bit down on her bottom lip as she closed her eyes, digging her fingernails into his back in satisfaction as she whispered, "One last time."_

"So basically, you pinned yourself after a man who you knew didn't want nothing more than sex and the fact that you knew that he wasn't stable, you really are desperate."

Raquel folded her arms as she leaned against the chair, "Don't think you're special. If I was around when he got sober, he would've without a doubt married me."

"But looks who has his love, the ring and children who he know without a doubt are his."

"You like taking low blows I see."

"When you come incorrect towards me and mines, don't expect anything less. Stay away from my family and most importantly, stay the hell away from husband." She watched as she opened her mouth and she cut her off, "I know a girl like you wouldn't let a simple gag order block you from wanting to tell something that you think you know so let me make myself very clear." As the words left her mouth, she inched closer and closer until she was nose to nose with her, "You even attempt at going public with this, you're going to regret it. You've messed with the wrong bitch. I don't play with it comes to my family. I can make your life a living hell if I wanted to and at the moment, I want to." She watched the frown deepen on her face and she stared at her seriously, "I dare you to try something."

"You might've won this battle but I will win the war. You can threaten me all day long but McKenna is Sam's daughter, whether you like it or not."

"We'll find out tomorrow. Until then, remember what I said. Before you get the hell out of my office.." She grabbed her before she stepped away, reaching the lapel of her shirt to rip something off, "You seriously thought that I wouldn't notice. You're dumber than I expected."

Raquel watched as she dropped the bug she planted on her shirt to record her, stepping on it with her foot. Her nose flared in anger as she turned around and stormed out of her office, slamming the door behind her.

Mercedes leaned against her desk and closed her eyes, sighing heavily as she ran her hands over her face. Although she would accept McKenna if she was Sam's daughter, she hoped she wasn't because she couldn't put up with this chick for the next fifteen years.

 _I'm sorry if it's all too much, every day you're here, I'm healing and I was runnin' out of luck_

* * *

Sam paced up and down the hallway inside the courtroom as time went by too slowly for him. This past week has been absolutely rough and he wasn't going to lie, he wanted so badly to relapse but he knew he couldn't. It's his first time in three years that he had an urge to drink and he honestly hated himself for even thinking about it.

 _I never thought I'd find this feeling, 'cause I've been hearing symphonies, before all I heard was silence_

Mercedes sat and watched her husband closely as he paced, sighing as she looked down at her phone to see she had a text from Dani, letting her know that she and Nova were going to visit their grandparents for the day. She was oblivious to what has been going on and she was surprised that she haven't picked up on their odd behavior, no matter how hard they have tried to hide it. Sam thought it would be best if she didn't know until everything was straighten out. He didn't want any more drama put in her life right now because she's been through enough.

"Hate that when I finally can come to Georgia, it's on these terms."

Sam stopped when he heard the familiar voice, turning on his heels, he gave a sad smile as she walked up, "Hi."

"Hi, Sam." Quinn said as she stopped, turning to Mercedes with a smile as she stood up, giving the woman a hug, "And I hate that I'm saying this right now but it's so good to finally meet you in person."

"Same here." She hugged her back before letting go, sticking her hands into the pockets of her dress.

"Since you did fire your whole team when you left the league Sam.."

"I didn't need them anymore."

"Yeah but they could've still been useful. I love you but all of their responsibilities fell onto me." Quinn put up her hand when he began to open his mouth, "Nope, sorry I brought that up. A conversation for another time but my reason for saying that is I've made sure that everything is secured around here. No paps, journalists, brownnoses and even just regular nosey folk trying to get a story. This courthouse is completely safe, hence why I recommend it. I pulled some strings to get Judge Mackey, very close friend of mines and someone I trust to protect every inch of your privacy."

 _A rhapsody for you and me and every melody is timeless_

"I know this is not the right time but I need to get this off of my chest." Quinn started as she stared at her friend seriously before leaning over and smacking him upside his head, "I told you this chick was no good when you starting messing with her. Yes, I'm wrong for kicking you while you're down and while I know you were not in the right state back then, dammit Sam, after years of knowing you, I know you couldn't have made a mistake like this."

"But he did and now he has to deal with the consequences."

Mercedes rolled her eyes when she saw the blonde come up to them with that irritating smirk that has been on her face since she came to her office.

Raquel took her glasses off and stared at the trio, smiling, "After we're done here, you're going to wish you never met me. My daughter is going to be set for life."

"I don't think this is really about McKenna anymore, I think mommy dearest is just trying to get money."

"Oh sweet Mercedes. You're adorable." She chuckled as she began to walk by them, stopping beside her for a moment, "It's not going matter what you think because once those results read that Sam is indeed the father, my baby will be getting the same amount that his other two daughters are bound to get."

Quinn watched as she watched away, shaking her head as she turned to the couple, "Let's head in guys, it's time."

Sam nodded, looking down at his wife, he grabbed ahold of her held, immediately feeling her tighten her grip. As they followed behind Quinn and into the room, he saw the judge sitting at the head of the table while Raquel and her lawyer sat on the right side.

 _And now your song is on repeat and I'm dancin' on to your heartbeat and when you're gone, I feel incomplete, so if you want the truth_

"Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Abrams, Ms. Sutton and Mr. Kline, we're here today to discuss the paternity of McKenna Rae Evans. Ms. Sutton, while getting these results, you are also suing Mr. Evans for emotional distress."

"Yes your honor, these three years have been quite hard on me. I didn't tell Sam because I was afraid of the reaction I was going to get because he was unstable at the time."

"Unbelievable." Sam whispered as he stared at her in anger, feeling Mercedes touch his hand to calm down, he took a deep breath as sat back in the chair.

Quinn folded her hands on top of her papers, "Seeing that my client had no knowledge of McKenna nor any contact with Ms. Sutton for four years, plus has completed a rehabilitation program and is three and half years sober, I moved for that claim to be denied."

"Mr. Kline?"

"Unfortunately, I will have to agree."

"Emotional distress is out."

Raquel glared at her lawyer before her eyes went to Sam and Mercedes, frowning deeply.

"Before we get to these results, lets get some things clear." Judge Mackey started as she shuffled the papers around before looking at everyone, "To my understanding, there has been threats made by Ms. Sutton against Mr. Evans, resulting in him having a gag order placed. Now, many people do not take that seriously but Ms. Sutton, I'm telling you that if you disobey that order there will be consequences. No talking to the press, trying to leak anything anonymously, writing a book, nothing."

"I can't believe that he gets to walk around and let America thinks that he only wanted privacy all these years. That's bullshit." Raquel grunted out in frustration, "Just get to the results so we can work out arrangements on visitations and money."

Sam took a breather as he tighten his hand up on Mercedes, looking down at her while the judge looked at the papers.

Mercedes could feel the nerves bouncing from Sam and that's when she knew that the results could change their lives forever. She watched Raquel closely and saw her starting to shift anxiously in her chair. She was no good and she knew one thing for sure, that whatever the test say, she was not going to put up with her.

"Swabs were taken from both McKenna and Sam, results with this particular test are 99.9% accurate. Mr. Evans, you are not the father of McKenna Rae."

A big sigh of relief left both Sam and Mercedes' mouths, turning to each other and hugging, tears springing from Mercedes' eyes as she hugged her husband, sniffling as she pulled back and placed a kiss to his lips.

"WHAT? No, no, NO! That's wrong."

"Actually it's not. You see, your past is not squeaky clean either, Ms. Sutton. I did some digging and found out that your daughter actually has her father in her life." Quinn pulled some photos of the same man with McKenna, spreading them on the table for all to see, "One phone call was all it took this morning. You slept with that man multiple times before Sam. He said that's his daughter and he was sure of that. We are now too. Sam, would you like to press charges for harassment, defamation of character, and just good ole plain scamming?"

Sam watched as she began to panic, eyes wide as her breathing became labored. She was suffering. Good. He stayed silent for awhile before he answered Quinn's question, "No because unlike her, I have a heart and I don't want that little girl to grow up without a mother. I still want that gag and restraining order in place. Make this my last time ever seeing you."

Mercedes watched as she got up from her seat and quickly exited out. Shaking her head, she pitied McKenna for having someone like that in her life and hoped that she never turned out that way. Standing along with Sam as he thanked the judge before he and the other lawyer left out, she smiled at the weight that was on her husband's shoulders lifted.

"If there's any others Sam, you need to let me know right now while I'm ahead of this damage control."

"That's it, I promise." He said as he let a smile as he watched her take a deep breath, gathering up her things as she waved him off, "Thank you, Quinn."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm staying with y'all the remainder of my trip and I'm getting some free meals and drinks out of it."

"That's fine with me." Mercedes laughed as she watched her walk out, turning to her husband, she smiled as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Sam smiled as he hugged her back, placing a lingering kiss to her forehead as he held her, "Thank you for not giving up on me. I love you so much, baby."

"I love you too. Always and forever."

 _I just wanna be part of your symphony_

 _Will you hold me tight and not let go?_

* * *

 **A/N. Last update until the new year. I have a heavy schedule next semester as well so I don't know when I'll update again, so as always, don't think I'm going to leave it unfinished, I will be back :) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's you guys! Wishing you nothing but peace, love and happiness for 2018!**


	42. The Truth

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTIONED.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes stood in the kitchen as she sliced the freshly cut watermelon into cubes, placing them into the container. She was doing and eating everything she could to keep her cool during this hot, summer Georgia weather. This was a time when she truly missed living in California.

"Is it sweet?"

"No, just right." She lifted her head and gave her husband a smile once he came into the kitchen, picking up a piece of the fruit and holding to his mouth, "Taste."

Sam leaned forward and grabbed it with his teeth, placing it in his mouth as he dropped down to give a kiss before moving back.

Mercedes snapped the container down and placed it in the refrigerator. Going over to pick the cutting board up and dropping it in the sink before returning to her bowl.

"Where's Dani and Nova?"

"Danielle is at work and Sander took Nova and the boys to the park." She picked up her water and took a sip as he nodded his head, putting it back down before lifting her hand to her bowl, "You weren't in bed this morning. What you been up to?"

"I'm writing a book."

Mercedes bit into the watermelon as he spoke, looking up at her husband, who had a serious expression on his face, "A book?"

"A memoir to be precise." Sam moved closer to her, grabbing another piece of melon, "And technically I've been writing it for a couple of months."

"I think that's pretty cool. What made you want to do so?"

"In therapy, I'm always asked to write in my journal, you know that right?" He watched as she nodded her head and turned to him, "And now that I've been doing so for years, it's just so freeing and therapeutic. I thought why not share my story, my truth with the world."

Mercedes leaned forward and kissed him before pulling back with a smile, "Well, I think that's amazing baby, I really do."

"That's not it." He said quietly as he stared at her seriously, gulping internally, "When I mean I want to share the truth, I mean about everything. Everything meaning from my childhood to adulthood, my addiction and our situation."

"Oh Sam..." Mercedes breathed out once she realized why he was so hesitant at first, "We've done so much to keep that out of the media."

"I know, trust me, I know." He said as he ran his hands over his face, grunting lowly, "I just.."

"Sam."

"Mercedes."

Mercedes sighed as she turned away from him, trying to capture her emotions and get them together because they were everywhere, "It's your story to tell, who am I to stop you."

"Let's not fight about this."

"We're not fighting."

"We're about to." He watched as she turned around to face him, tilting his head to the side, "What's the problem?"

"Once the truth is out, nothing is ever going to be the same." She said calmly as she stared at him, biting on her bottom lip nervously, "This isn't going to effect just us, but everyone around us."

Sam stayed silent for a moment, let what she said linger in his minds before the quietness in the kitchen was interrupted by his wife's work pager going off.

Mercedes picked up her pager and looked at him, sighing, she handed him the bowl, moving to the side so she could leave, "We'll talk about this later."

"Hey." He stopped her before she walked passed him, her eyes raising up to meet his before he bent down and gave her a kiss, "I love you."

"I love you too." She leaned up and gave him another one before leaving in the kitchen to his thoughts.

* * *

Danielle frowned slightly as she watched him hit another strike, cutting her eyes when he came back laughing and smirking, beyond frustrated with him. She was competitive just like her father, and was not taking this loss well.

"Looks like I won." Nathan smiled as he watched her glare at him, causing him to chuckle. She was competitive as hell but he enjoyed it. It was never a dull moment with her.

"Um, no. One more game."

"Nope, we shook on the best three games. We could have a rematch but I'm starving."

Danielle rolled her eyes at him before picking up her purse and stepping around him, "Fine, we can get something to eat but I want my rematch."

"Yes ma'am." He laughed as he followed behind her up the steps. They had decided to eat at the little restaurant in the bowling place, sitting in the booth next to the railing that oversaw all the lanes.

Nathan grabbed the portable Ziosk tablet and placed it in the middle so they could place their orders, "Are you one of those cheerleaders who binge eat during off season?"

"Hell no, I eat like I normally do before, during and after the season." Daniele chuckled as she selected her drink, two appetizers and her entree, looking back up at him with a smile, "I love to eat, if you haven't noticed already."

Nathan laughed as he watched her, seeing her jump a bit as she picked up her phone and began texting very quickly, "Everything okay?"

 _She's fine. Stop worrying._

Danielle read the response before sighing in relief, looking up at him, "Sorry, I was checking in on my little sister. She was running a very high fever this morning."

"Oh, don't apologize. It's no problem." Nathan reassured her as the waitress came, giving them a smile as she brought their drinks. Thanking her, he turned back to Danielle, "How is she?"

"My dad said she's fine." She sat her phone down and gave an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry."

"No, stop apologizing. You're so family orientated and have such a great relationship with your family. I really like that about you."

Danielle felt her cheeks warm up as he spoke, ducking her head a bit as she chewed on her bottom lip, "Thank you, seriously. This was one of the reasons I never wanted to go on dates because I assumed people wouldn't understand that my family comes first, regardless."

"And I agree, guess that's been my problem with my previous relationship not understanding." He said as he moved his straw around in his drink, shaking his head, "Sorry, I'm sorry. I don't mean to bring up my past on our date."

"It's okay."

Nathan watched as she twirled the straw paper between her fingers before looking back at him, "Like I said on our first date, I've been liking you for awhile but never had to courage to ask you out. The truth? I waited so long to ask you because once the news came out about your dad, I didn't want you to feel like I was only asking just because you were his daughter and only looking for clout."

Danielle smiled as she stared at him, nodding her head at his honesty, "Well, I really appreciate you for being honest with me."

"I really like you, Danielle." He smiled as he reached over and grabbed her hands, feeling a shift in the air and his face starting to warm up, "And this past month of us getting to know each other has been amazing."

"It has, hasn't it?" She smiled her own little smile as she rubbed her thumb across his hand. She stared at him for a moment before leaning over and giving him a kiss. After her and Nathan's first date, which was a picnic in the park, they went on five more. She really enjoyed his company. His personality and vibe was everything and that's what attracted her to him the most. He wasn't too bad on the eyes either. This was the first person she has ever been serious about, so here's to hoping for the best.

Once her lips left his, he stared back at her with a big smile, "That was our first kiss."

"Mhm." She hummed out as she moved her hair behind her ear, watching as the waitress came back with their appetizers, letting them know that their orders would be out soon.

Nathan took one of mozzarella sticks from the plate and placed it the sauce, "So, did it seal the deal? Can we officially say we 're dating?"

Danielle giggled at him as she grabbed a boneless wing, running it through the ranch as she nodded, "I guess so."

Nathan got up from his side of the booth and went to sit beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders after kissing her cheek.

Danielle couldn't help but smile at him. She was happy. This was new to her, but it was a good new. Even though it was early, she didn't know if they were going to have that forever love like her parents, but she was going to take it one day at a time and enjoy it.

* * *

Sam rubbed the baby cocoa butter in his hand before leaning down and placing it on Nova's face, smiling down when she scrunched up her nose, "I'm sorry baby." He watched as she shrieked out of his hands before rolling over, sitting up in the bed as she crawled to him. He picked her up and watched as she smiled back at him, prompting him to do the same. She has been doing that lately and honestly, it put him in the best mood ever. He loved this little girl so much and he thanked God for her every single day.

Mercedes closed and locked the front door when she stepped into her house. It was after nine and she had just pulled a long, twelve hour shift. She wanted nothing more than to see her baby, take a bath and go right to bed. Sighing, she left all her things at the front, sliding out of her shoes as she headed up the stairs. Hearing baby laughter coming from her bedroom, a smile instantly spread across her lips as she walked down the hallway. Once she made it, she stood outside and peeked in, seeing her husband and daughter laid out on the bed watching tv.

" _Whenever there's a problem, 'round Adventure Bay.._ " Sam sung, laughing as she did so and clapped her hands, "I'm honored that my horrid singing isn't making you cry."

Mercedes chuckled lowly before she came fully in, seeing both of them turn their heads her way, "I'm home."

"Hey baby." Sam greeted with a smile, watching as Nova left the side of him and crawled over to where she was, causing him to sit up and pause the show.

Mercedes picked her up and kissed her cheek, smiling tiredly, "It's way pass your bedtime."

"That's my fault. Her nap was interrupted when I picked her up from my mom's house."

"You're puddy in your daddy's hands baby girl." Mercedes smiled as she gave Sam a knowing look, watching as he shook his head, "You have no hope when she gets older."

Sam smacked his lips and rolled his eyes, knowing that it was true but he wasn't going to let her know that, "How was work?"

"Stressful. I just want to take a hot bath and get in the bed." Mercedes kissed the little girl's forehead before running her hand through her hair, "How's her fever?"

"Down thankfully. She's in good spirits, so I think she's feeling better."

Mercedes watched Nova as she played with her necklace, her eyes going to Sam's with a raised brow, "How many baby freeze pops did you let her eat?"

Sam opened and closed his mouth, knowing good and well she would see right through his lie, "Three, but come on baby, they are half the size of the ones we eat."

Mercedes smiled as she shook her head, shifting the baby on her hip, "Mhm."

"I'll go run you a bath."

Mercedes laughed at him for ending the conversation, watching as he crossed the room and disappeared into the bathroom. She looked down at Nova as she swayed her, smiling down at the sleepy girl as she hummed. After a few minutes, her little eyes fluttered shut as sleep took over her. Mercedes kissed her forehead once more before crossing the room to place her in the crib they had in their room. Glancing at her before leaving, going to see what was taking her husband so long. When she stepped into the bathroom, she saw why.

"It looked like it one of those days." With a mixture of soothing bath salts and bubbles, lights off with calming, lavender candles lit and soothing music playing in the background. He went over to where she was standing, stopping once he was behind her. He grabbed a hair tie from off the sink and tired her hair up before moving for her scrub top.

"I guess it doesn't matter what type of clothing it is, you just want to get me out of it, huh?" Mercedes joked, listening to him chuckle as he took it off, feeling the cool air from the air conditioner coming from the vent.

"You know me very well." He mumbled with a smirk on his face as he went to unclasp her bra, groaning when he heard his phone ringing, "Dammit."

Mercedes chuckled as he let go and walked out, shaking her head as she stripped from the rest of her clothes and got into the water, moaning lowly as she sunk down and closed her eyes. Five minutes passed before her husband came back in grunting and mumbling to himself, "What's wrong?"

"I have to be in Arizona for the weekend." He said as he came back in, leaning back against the counter as he looked at her, "I don't wanna leave you and the kids."

"You have to go to work, but speaking of old stomping grounds, I thought a lot about what happened this morning. You should do it. I'm sorry for how I reacted this morning, I was just caught off guard."

"Mercedes."

"Sam." She gave him a knowing look before she sat up, folding her arms on the side of the tub as she stared at him.

"How about you read it first and then you decided whether or not I should include it." He watched as she shook her head, beginning to open her mouth, interrupting her, "I'm not about to put anything out that you're not comfortable with."

"And I'm not about to make you feel like you can't express yourself and share your story without my approval."

"You're so aggravating."

"You love me though." She smirked as she leaned forward and kissed him three times, pulling back with a smile, "So..."

"Read it first please. Nothing gets published without your approval." He stated again, watching as she rolled her eyes as she move back, "Please?"

Mercedes groaned as she leaned back, sinking back down into the still hot water and closing her eyes, "Fine."

Sam smiled as he leaned over and kissed her deeply, ignoring her pouting before pulling away and chuckling, "I'll let you be."

"You don't wanna join?"

Sam laughed at the pout still formed on her lips, shaking his head, "Nope, all for you. I took a shower already. Relax and enjoy your bath."

"Fine." She whined as she stared at him, smiling, "I love you."

"I love you too." He smiled before walking out to leave her alone. He went over and checked on Nova, who was sound asleep, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead before moving over to his own bed.

* * *

 **A/N. What do you guys think of Danielle and Nathan? Y'all like them or nah? Ship name? Do you think Sam will release this information in his memoir? If so, should he? And he's returning to his old stomping grounds, do you think anything is going to happen while he's there for the weekend? Hm, stay tuned to find out. Let me know your thoughts about it & overall view of this update :) **


	43. Mistakes Of My Past

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE!**

 **Aliza Swartz- Tiera Skovbye**

 **Benny Swartz- Theo James**

* * *

 _Not one. Not two. Not three. Six. Six different empty liquor bottles sprawled across the living room floor. And Sam. Well, Sam was working on his seventh one. He didn't feel the need to slow down nor did he have a reason to. This is what his life had turned out to be. Sad, lonely, useless. Deep down, he didn't want to be alone, but in the moment, one night stands were the right thing to do. He didn't deserve to find love. No. He really didn't._

Sam leaned back against the seat, rubbing his hands over his face, sighing deeply as he came from his thoughts. He had landed in Arizona two hours ago, got his things settled in his hotel room and then came to get something to eat from one of his favorite restaurants that was just down the street. Being back here was bringing back memories he wanted to stay buried, but unfortunately, that was seemingly going to be impossible.

"Can I get you anything, sir?"

"Um, yeah. I'll just have the BBQ special, extra sauces on the side and a glass of water please." He closed the menu and handed it to her with a small smile before he looked back at his phone.

The girl stared at him for a moment before tucking the menu underneath her arm, realization hitting her, "You're Sam Evans, right?"

Sam glanced back at her, smiling a bit, "Yes ma'am."

"It's me, Aliza, Benny Swarts' daughter." She smiled at him as she watched him stare at her some more for recognition, "I was little when you left the Bay."

"Liza?" He said as it registered to him, getting up from his seat to give her a hug, "Oh my God, you have grown up on me. You should be about seventeen now, huh?"

Aliza nodded her head, smiling, "Yeah, I actually graduate next year."

"That's great. What are you doing here in Arizona?"

"Well, mom and dad divorced about five years ago. So, dad moved down here and I came with him. Always been a daddy's girl."

"I remember, you never left his side." Sam chuckled at the memories before shaking his head, "How is he?"

"He's doing really good. He's actually going to game tomorrow, I figure that's why you're in town."

"I am."

"You should come over for breakfast tomorrow, I'm sure he would love to see you. I can give you the address and everything before you leave.

Sam nodded his head, thinking about how great it would be to catch up with him, "That'll be great."

Aliza smiled brightly, "Okay, let me get your order in and I'll be back with your water."

Sam couldn't believe it. He met Benny when they were in college were they were roommates and teammates. They were close but lost contact, on Sam's part, when he got traded and was on his down-spiral.

* * *

After lunch, Sam had so many things he had to do before he could even go back to his room. He had to get his passes and schedule for the weekend, and after he got done with that, he was completely worn out. It was surely going to be a long weekend. He had just gotten settled in his bed with his laptop, after taking a long shower, when he heard his phone ring. Reaching over to unplug it from the charger, seeing that it was his daughter FaceTiming him, he smiled as he slid the answer button.

"Hey dad." Danielle answered with a smiled as she stared back at him waving her hand.

"Hey you." Sam greeted with a smile as he looked at her, glancing over at the clock and doing the math, "What are you doing up so late?"

"Well, I was starving. Mom didn't cook today and I was too lazy to make anything, so I'm actually going to pick up something." Danielle looked at something over her phone, smiling before her eyes went back to her dad, "How was your flight?"

"It was long and tiring. I was actually about to watch a movie to put me to sleep since I'm missing all of my cuddle buddies." He laughed a bit, tilting his head when her heard a knock at his door, "Hold on baby, somebody's at my door." Sam got up from his bed, making his way through the suite to get to the door, "Who is it?"

"Room Service."

Sam face twisted up in confusion, not ordering anything, he opened the door and his eyes went wide, a laugh escaping his mouth when he saw her standing there.

"Surprise." Danielle smiled as she wrapped her arms around him for a hug, giggling when he lifted her up.

"What are you doing here?" He kissed her forehead as he sat her down to her feet, the smile plastered on his face.

Danielle smirked as she stepped in and moved the side, crossing her arms, "Well, I'm not the only one here."

"What?" Sam said, turning around when he heard someone clear their throat, his smile only getting wider when he saw his wife, "Oh my god."

"Is that a happy one?" Mercedes asked with a smile, chuckling as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, pulling away to place a kiss to her lips.

"A very happy one." He mumbled across her lips before kissing her again, letting her go as he stepped outside and pulled their suitcases in, closing the door back behind him when he came back in, "What are y'all doing here?"

Mercedes took off her jacket, still a little cold from the plane, smiling as she turned to him, "I knew how hard it was going to be for you to come back here, so I asked Dani if she wanted to tag along and be here for you."

"Cassie and Liam are babysitting Nova. They wanted to get a little practice in." Danielle chimed in as she walked out the suite, nodding appreciatively, "This is nice."

"Thank you both for coming. You don't how much it means to me that y'all are here." Sam smiled at his wife, watching as she came back to him, looping her arms around his neck.

"Love you baby." Mercedes leaned up and kissed his cheek then his lips, letting go as she hugged him again.

"Okay, I wasn't kidding when I said I was starving." Danielle said as she came back into the room, looking at her parents, "I'm going to go downstairs to that restaurant. Do you want anything back?"

"Anything you bring."

"Fantastic. Be back in an hour or so."

Sam watched as she closed the door, his eyes going back down to his wife, "Can we make one more, please?" He asked with a chuckle in between kisses, earning one from her as well.

"I'm not against it. If it happens, it happens." Mercedes smiled against his lips, looking at him through her lashes as she raised a brow, "We have a solid hour before she comes back. Wanna practice?"

"Always." He smirked as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the room, closing the door that separated it from the living room _._

* * *

The next morning, Sam had headed to see his old best friend, Benny, at his home for breakfast. Danielle and Mercedes were still sleeping, but they knew where he was going since he told them last night. They greeted each other with hugs, not seeing or speaking in years, and headed to the dining room. Everything started off so good, them retelling old stories to Aliza, who was surprisingly interested and laughing. But however, once the big reveal was brought up, things took a turn for the worse.

" _You know I'm really glad to see you man. It's been way too long. I was so confused on what had happened between us."_

 _Sam sat his cup down, shaking his head, "I was just in a horrible space, Benny. I was going through a lot."_

 _Benny looked at his old friend as he sat back in his chair, "Honestly, I'm just having a hard time believing everything. We were best friends Sam, have been every since college. Hell, you was even Aliza's godfather. You didn't trust me enough to tell me any of this if it was true? Or is it just a doctored up cover story because she's some hoe that trapped you with a child?"_

" _Dad." Aliza gasped lin disbelief, her eyes going over to Sam in panic. He was way out of line for what he just said and she couldn't believe that he would ever make a comment like that._

" _It's okay Aliza. You know what Benny, you're right. You were my best friend and I did trust you, but now, now I see why Angela divorced you. I don't tolerate anyone disrespecting my wife at all. The only reason I'm not coming across this table and to beat your ass for what you just said is because I have enough respect for your daughter." Sam said as he got up from his seat, looking at Aliza, he gave her a small smile, "It was great seeing you again, and if you need anything, you have my number. I wish you nothing but the best in school and future endeavors."_

"I'm not dealing with this bullshit all weekend. My tolerance for it is short, and if anyone else even have the nerve to try to disrespect you, I'm seriously going to lose it."

"Relax." Mercedes said as she fixed his tie, glancing up at him and his angry features, listening to him for the past few minutes as he retold his morning, "Fix your face or you're going to have wrinkles."

Sam stared down at her, he sighed before shaking his head as he relaxed his muscles, "I'm not doing my memoir anymore"

Mercedes hands stopped as she stared at him, "Sam, no. Don't let this one interaction make you not want to do what you wanted to do."

"No, it just opened my eyes. I clearly didn't think this through. This world is a cruel place, and I have no idea what to expect when I release anything."

"Sam."

"I made up my mind, Cedes." He said as he stepped away from her, going to grab his shoes from the closet, "This is something that I thought I was ready for but clearly I'm not."

"Babe." Mercedes sighed as she sat back on the bed, watching as he finished getting ready. When he did, he grabbed his laptop from his bed and walked over to her.

"Here's the part I wanted you to read though." He handed her the laptop, open to the section before dropping a kiss to her lips and grabbing his suit jacket, "I'll see you later."

Mercedes watched as he left out before her eyes fell back on the screen, taking a deep breath before she started to read.

 _They say the truth shall set you free. Yeah, well, the truth..my truth caused a lot of damaged when it was._

 _If I had penny for every time I said I wanted to do something more with my life, I would've been a self-made millionaire. Between the drinking and pity, I didn't consider myself deserving enough to have a family. In all honesty, I lost that desire a long time ago when I lost my first love, Mercedes. Well, you'll learned more about her in the next chapter because it's solely focused and dedicated to her._

 _The real truth, my truth is that I lied. I lied about me wanting to keep my family out of the public eye for this long. Truth is, I've only been with them for going on three years now._

 _My truth. Someone who was close to me, no scratch that, who I thought was close to me, kept us apart. I'm not going to name this person, nor even hint to who he is because he doesn't deserved the recognition nor profit from it._

 _No one will never know how much it hurt to know that I missed so much of my daughter's life. I never admitted this and don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for this second chance but at the same time, it's meaningless in a few ways. I bet you're probably saying that's an ungrateful thing to say but let me explain myself._

 _My daughter grew up without me. Almost twenty years, she grew up thinking that I didn't care nor love her. No matter how much I try to make up for it now, she can't get that back, neither can I. The hurt, missed milestones, everything. All because this person thought he knew what was best for me._

 _I always felt that I should blame that person for doing what he did, but in actuality, I blame myself. I blame myself for not pushing pass Mercedes' sister that day and going to see what was going on. I blame myself for not going to the college she was going to and search ten times harder. I blame myself for giving up in looking for her. I blame myself for accepting that she probably moved on and found someone better._

 _Guess the saying is true: Better late than never, but never late is better. I wish that second part applied to me but sadly, it didn't._

Mercedes stared at the screen for a few more minutes before she eventually closed it, tears streaming down her face still. She couldn't even finish reading all of it. Even when she thought she was over this, she really wasn't. And she probably would never be. She wiped her face as she got up from the bed, seeing that Sam left his personal phone. She grabbed it off the night stand and unlocked, going to the messages to get what she needed. When she was done, she slid the phone in her pocket and went to the corner to slide on her sandals, grabbing her purse and a key to the room as she headed out, "I'll be back baby, I have to run an errand."

Danielle turned to her, toothbrush dangling from her mouth as she ironed her shorts, nodding her head, "Okay, I'll be ready when you come back."

Mercedes gave her a smile before heading out the door, pulling out the phone again to double checked before calling for an Uber as she got into the elevator.

* * *

When Mercedes came back from running her errand, her and Danielle spent the afternoon exploring the city by taking two different tours and even going to a museum. After they were finish, they retired back to their room, exhausted, and hit the showers before testing up for the evening. A couple hours later, Sam was finishing up with work, and had texted them to meet them at a restaurant for dinner.

"You know you can never trust these proclaimed 'southern' restaurants that are not based in the south. They swear they know how to get southern cooking but lowkey don't." Danielle said a she crossed her legs, looking through the menu as her mom laughed at her.

Mercedes took a sip of her lemonade before sitting it down, "Well, if your daddy likes it, then it's probably legit."

Danielle nodded in agreement as she closed it, finding what she wanted, "That's true."

"Having doubts?" Sam asked as he came up behind Danielle, smiling knowingly as he gave her a hug before stripping off his jacket, going to sit next to his wife, greeting her with a kiss.

"You know me dad. I'm skeptical of places like this." She responded as she stared at the sweet tea in her glass, pointing to it, "The tea doesn't even look right."

Sam laughed at her as he shook his head, seeing the waiter coming back, "Taste it. Even I have to admit it's good."

Mercedes chuckled as she watched her daughter's face scrunch up before she took a sip, seeing that the waiter was back asking if were ready, "I'll try some of the fried green tomatoes for the appetizer then I'll have chicken and dumplings for my entree. Thank you."

"A grilled chicken caesar salad for me. Y'all literally can't mess that up, I hope." Danielle spoke honestly, ignoring the glare her mom was shooting her, shrugging, "Tea isn't that bad."

Sam laughed at his daughter then the man's unimpressed look before handing him the menu, "I'll have a peach tea and the fried whole catfish with double macaroni and cheese, collard greens and sweet potatoes for my sweet potato." He winked when Danielle smiled at him, "We're sharing Dani, you're going to like it."

"If you say so, dad. I still want the salad."

Sam snorted before glancing at his wife, "What are we going to do with her?"

"Just love her, that's all we can do." Mercedes giggled when Danielle pursed her lips, "Speaking of babies, our other baby is being an absolute angel according to her aunt and uncle."

"I think she's fond of Liam." Danielle chuckled as she crossed her legs, "I mean, I don't blame her. The man has always been fine. He was actually my first crush."

"Okay, enough." Sam's face scrunched up, not wanting to even think about that, "It's bad enough you're dating, I don't even want to think about her having a boy near her when she gets older."

Mercedes laughed at him at him as she patted his back, turning to him knowingly, "Let's be realistic here, if they were boys, you would've have a problem."

"That's not true."

"Please dad." Danielle said as she rolled her eyes, "Men are quick to give their sons advice about girls, which I'm not saying that it's wrong because it's not, it's just when it comes to dating, y'all are more accepting to when they do it than when we do. The double standards are absolutely atrocious."

Sam opened and closed his mouth, seeing the looks that both of them were giving him. He didn't even know what to say because honestly, they were telling the truth, even if he didn't want to believe it at first, "I'm sorry."

"Just be aware, sweetie." Mercedes smiled as she kissed his cheek, giggling when she saw the look on his face, "But I understand the protectiveness when it comes to girls, especially you with yours."

Sam watched as the waiter came back with the tomatoes, setting the plate in the middle, along with the sauce. He heard his phone ding and could've sworn he put it on silent. Reaching down to do just that, he saw that it was a text from Benny, reading it, then once again. He raised his eyes and looked to his wife, who he knew felt his gaze on her.

Mercedes turned her head to him, sending him a smile knowingly as she took her hand and moved his hair from out of his face, letting it run over his cheek, "Don't look at me like that. It had to be done."

Sam leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips before dropping one on her cheek, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Danielle smiled as she stared at them, pulling out her phone so she could take a picture of them, "Y'all are so stinking cute."

Sam chuckled at her as she took the picture with the flash on, causing him to squint. This was when he was the happiest. With his girls. No one could take that happiness away from him.

* * *

 **A/N. This was just warm up, they have a whole weekend in Arizona y'all! What in the world is going to happen next? What did you think about some of the excerpts from Sam's memoir? Heartbreaking if you ask me. What do you think Mercedes did? A couple of updates while we're at it, 'Delayed' is finish, so go check that out if you haven't already! I have a new fic, 'First Daughter', which is my FINAL one, go check that out as well! As always, thank you for your continuous support and I'll try to update a soon as I can!**


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